Callen Undercover
by countrygirluk56
Summary: Callen goes back undercover and the outcome is not good. An alternative ending to the episode Rage. Whilst Jethro Gibbs and Abby Scuito will make an appearance, this is not a cross-over story.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: this is an alternative ending to the episode Rage

Disclaimer: NCIS LA and its characters are owned by CBS, Shane Brennan and the various writers. Thank you for bringing them to life and allowing us to have fun with them

Chapter 1

When Hetty was summoned to Washington DC to a Congressional Hearing over the mission to rescue Kensi from Afghanistan, Assistant Director Granger pulled Callen and Sam off the undercover assignment they were on. As Steven Walinski, Callen had infiltrated a white supremacy group to discover whether they had acquired the medical waste, which could be used to make a dirty bomb, that had been stolen from a decommissioned hospital. Walinski was in prison as an inmate and Sam was a prison guard when they were pulled out. Now the immediate threat over the Congressional Hearing was over, Callen decided he needed to resume his undercover alias and go back to prison, where he was supposed to be in solitary confinement for 6 months. Walinski is released back into general population and teams up again with Charlie Connor & the other members of the white supremacy gang and he discovers that Dallas Alder, the leader, had been released the day after Granger pulled the plug on the assignment.

Needing a way to get Callen out of prison, a plan is devised and, with Granger & Sam posing as prison guards, the bus transporting the prisoners crashes. Callen helps Charlie & Jimmy Ray to escape on the condition they take him with them. Arriving at Dallas's house where Ginny, his girlfriend, the group leader, prepares them a meal. When Dallas turns up, he asks Callen what happened in solitary as his contacts in prison & in the solitary said the guards never went to his cell to check on him or bring him food. Callen says he was very quiet and did not have the need to speak or make a noise.

Kensi joins Callen as his girlfriend and she befriends Ginny. As Callen believes Dallas is suspicious, he tells Kensi to get Ginny away as soon as she can. Back in the Mission Hetty is becoming more concerned about Callen's safety and wants him to get out as soon as possible. However he refuses as he has not yet discovered whether the group have the Cobalt 60.

The white supremacy group rob a bank and hold the staff and customers hostage. The FBI are leading the negotiations and Sam and Deeks join them. Dallas makes his demands for the release of the hostages but is a ruse. The group had previously dug a tunnel that stopped beneath the floor of the vault and whilst the FBI are waiting outside, the group break through to the tunnel below. As they are leaving, Callen makes an excuse to go back to help Jimmy Rae but he knocks him unconscious and leaves him tied to the steel bars of the vault. When the FBI storm the bank, they find only the hostages and Jimmy Ray.

As the FBI & NCIS have no idea where the group are, Kensi goes back to Dallas's house to speak to Ginny, who does not know where they are either. After revealing that she is a federal agent, Ginny is taken to the boat shed for further questioning. Ginny says that when Dallas returns after being away for a while he brings her back drawing paper. Taking a sample of the paper and doing some research, Nell and Eric discover that the company who manufactured the paper have gone out of business. Deducing that Dallas was unlikely to have bought the paper, they search for abandoned shops and warehouses in the vicinity where stocks of the paper may have been left. When they found an abandoned warehouse owned by the paper manufacturers, they let Sam know.

"The coordinates are on your phones now" said Nell.

"Mr Hanna, bring him back safely" said Hetty.

"I will." said Sam.

To herself, Hetty says "Let's hope we're not too late."

In the meantime, Callen and the white supremacy group are in the abandoned warehouse. Callen helps Charlie rig some cables for lighting and communications. Callen asks Charlie how he got in with this crowd and if he wants to get out, Callen will help him get a job.

"Why are you trying to help me?" asks Charlie.

"I don't know" shrugs Callen. "I made some wrong decisions way back but you're bright, you could have a future. You've just got to recognise when it's time to make an important decision" says Callen.

Just then Dallas and two of his group walk in. "What are you two talking about? Charlie get rid of the truck" and he throws him the keys "Drive it about 10 miles away and dump it. Throw the keys away and come straight back but take the bus" instructs Dalls.

"I'll go with him" says Callen.

"No, I've got some work for you here besides Charlie will be less conspicuous."

As Charlie leaves, Callen finishes hanging the cables and Dallas stands looking at him. "What's up, Dallas?" "You, Walinski. Tell me again how Jimmy Ray got caught."

"The Feds were storming the bank, I heard shooting and a cry and went back to see Jimmy Ray on the floor, with the Feds coming for him. I would've helped him but he wasn't moving – I thought he was dead - so I hurried back down the tunnel to catch up with you guys."

"Funny – nothing's being said about anyone being shot on the news" said Dallas.

"They won't, will they? Some information is withheld from the public; the Feds control the media in situations like this" countered Callen,

"What do you know about situations like this?" asked Dallas.

"C'm on, Dallas, I've seen enough cop shows to know how it goes down. I've also spent a fair amount of time in jail. It makes sense. They know we'll be watching for news so they won't want to give any information away which would help us."

"May be but I'm not convinced" said Dallas.

At that moment, another member of the team came up behind Callen and swung a baseball bat at his head, which knocked him unconscious. When he was on the ground, the other two came up and kicked his inert body.

"Enough!" shouted Dallas "I don't want him dead – not yet. I've got some questions for him. Come with me and bring him with you."

When Callen came to, he was standing up straight but tied crucifixion style to a horizontal metal railing. His head throbbed and his vision was blurred. It hurt to breathe so he thought his ribs were cracked at least. He was aware that his bomber jacket and shirt had been removed, though he was still wearing his jeans and boots.

Dallas was sitting a short way from Callen and when he saw he had regained consciousness, he got up and walked over to him. "Good, I thought they'd gone too far with the kicking; now tell me who you are."

"Y'know who I am – I'm Steven Walinski."

The blow came so fast that Callen could not do anything to lessen the impact as Dallas's fist hit the side of his face and his head flew back, spraying blood. He spat out blood.

"Who do you work for? What are your orders?" demanded Dallas.

"I don't know what you're talking about – I escaped when the bus crashed."

This time the blow hit him in the stomach, knocking the air out of him and he coughed, gasping for breath as he lurched forward as far as the constraints would let him.

"Again – who are you?"

"Steven Walinski. I helped Charlie and Jimmy Ray escape."

Dallas had picked up a metal bar and brought it down on Callen's left arm. Callen screamed in pain as the bone broke and punched out through his skin because the railing that he was tied to did not allow for any movement. He passed out.

One of Dallas's thugs threw a bucket of cold water over Callen, bringing him round. "If you don't want any more pain, tell me the truth. Who do you work for?"

"I don't understand. Why are you doing this? I got them out!" said Callen, a little groggily.

"Wrong answer" said Dallas, as he hit him again with the metal bar, this time across the body.

At that moment, Charlie enters. "Dallas, what are you doing? He's one of us."

"Is he?" asks Dallas.

"Yes – let him down" said Charlie and as he moved over to Callen to release him, Dallas says "Stay away from him. He's a cop or something."

"No, he's not!" countered Charlie. "He helped us escape and he was in on the bank raid with us." As Charlie went to untie Callen, Dallas moved behind him and slid a knife he had exchanged for the metal bar into his back between the ribs and up into the heart.

"No!" shouted Callen as Charlie looked at him with a look of disbelief on his face and blood dribbling out of his mouth before he stumped to the floor dying.

"You didn't have to do that. Why?" said Callen.

"He was too soft; he'd never be like us. Again – who are you? Why are you here?" continued Dallas.

Callen was in too much distress and pain to answer so Dallas used the knife to slice through Callen's flesh.

"I know just how deep to go to cause pain without killing you" Dallas said with glee, slicing him again. Callen gritted his teeth against the pain and groaned. Dallas continued to interrogate Callen. Dissatisfied with the answer, Dallas stabbed him in the left side and Callen grunted and gasped as the blade slid in. As Callen now could not answer the questions put to him due to the pain, Dallas stabbed him again whenl Callen slump forward unconscious.

"F**k it! Wake him up again! I want him awake when I kill him" snarled Dallas to his men.


	2. Chapter 2

At that moment, Sam and the others rushed in, taking down the other thugs. However Dallas quickly moved to position himself behind Callen so he was shielded by his body. He grabbed Callen's forehead from behind with his left hand and lifted his head up. He pulled it backwards, holding the knife tightly against Callen's exposed throat, drawing blood.

"Drop the guns or I'll slit his throat" warned Dallas.

"Not gonna happen. Now put the knife down and step away from him" commanded Sam, his gun pointing at Dallas waiting for a clear shot.

Callen had regained consciousness and muttered through the pain "Dallas, y'know I'm Steven Walinski. C'mon do as he says. You don't wanna die like this - at the hands of a black Fed."

"Who is he? What's he to you?" asked Dallas nodding his head towards Callen.

Picking up on Callen's warning, Sam said "He's Steven Walinski, a convicted criminal. Hey, it's no skin of my nose if you kill him but my orders are to take you all – him included - back to jail" counters Sam.

Dallas appeared uncertain about the exchange and hesitated so the knife moved away from Callen's throat ever so slightly. Sensing this, Callen used whatever strength he had left to kick out at Dallas's legs. Surprised by the attack, Dallas staggered backwards away from Callen, giving Sam the opportunity for a shot. As Dallas crashed to the floor dead, Sam rushed over to Callen whilst Kensi & Deeks and the FBI agents checked that Dallas and his group were all dead. Sam called the Ops Centre using his comms "Eric, get the EMT here asap."

"On its way" and Sam closed the connection before Eric could say anything else.

"It's over G – I've got you" said Sam as he quickly assessed his partner's injuries.

"I didn't tell, Sam, cover's intact. Charlie?" said Callen through gritted teeth so quietly that Sam hardly heard him.

"I know G. Charlie's dead. Ssh, save your strength. Let's get you down."

Sam put his arm around Callen's waist to support him as he cut the shackles of his right arm. Callen slumped. "Hey can you put your arm round my neck? I've got to cut you free." Callen put his arm round Sam's neck but there was no strength there. At that moment Deeks came over and supported Callen.

"Thanks, man" said Sam as he cut the bindings as carefully as he could. Callen's left arm with the open fracture, now no longer restrained, fell forward and he yelled in pain.

"I'm sorry, bud" said Sam as he gently cradled the arm in a more comfortable position as Deeks lowered Callen to the floor as the EMT arrived.

Kensi looked at Callen and turned to Sam, "Is he going to be OK?"

"I don't know, Kens – he's in a bad way. I've got to tell Hetty." Switching on his comms, he calls Ops and Nell answers. "Nell, I need to speak to Hetty"

"I'm here, Mr Hanna" says Hetty.

"Dallas, Charlie Connor and the rest of the group are dead."

"What about Mr Callen?" said Hetty, afraid of the answer.

"We've got him" and Hetty lets out a sigh of relief. He continues "But he was badly beaten and tortured by Dallas before we could get here. He's alive – just. The EMs are working on him now trying to stabilise him so that he can be moved."

There is silence the other end – "Hetty are you still there?" Sam asks.

With a crack in her voice, Hetty replies "Yes, Mr Hanna. I'm here. I'm going to contact a friend of mine, a Doctor. I'll get back to you and let you know which hospital to take Mr Callen."

Cutting comms, Hetty phones Dr Michael Grant. "Dr Grant speaking."

"Michael, it's Henrietta Lang. I need a huge favour."

"Hetty,of course. What do you need?"

"One of my agents is seriously injured and I need you to look after him."

"Of course. What's the nature of the injuries?" asks Dr Grant.

"I don't know for sure. However he was beaten and tortured. The EMs are stabilising him now in order to move him."

"OK, tell them to bring him to Mercy. I'll get a team together. I'll see you there?"

"Of course. His NCIS partner will come in the ambulance with him. Thank you, Michael."

"Not a problem. I'd do anything for you, you know that."

Getting back on Comms, Hetty contacts Sam & tells what she's arranged.

"OK, Hetty. Hang on and I'll tell the EMs." After a short pause, Sam continues "Hetty, they'll be moving him shortly. I'll travel with them and meet you there."

"Good. I know they will want to go to the hospital as well but please send Ms Blye and Mr Deeks back here for a debrief with Granger. Tell them we'll keep them informed of his status."

As she breaks off comms with Sam, Granger walks into the Ops Centre.

"What's happened?" he says.

"The white supremacist group has been taken down – they are all dead" advises Hetty.

"What about Agent Callen?"

"Sam and the team got there a little too late. He's alive – no thanks to you – but seriously injured. They're taking him to hospital now."

Granger looked at her questioningly. "You pulled Mr Callen and Mr Hanna off that undercover assignment when I was dragged back to Washington. You blew his cover" she said angrily.

"You don't know that – not for sure. Anyway Callen went back in."

"Well, he would, wouldn't he? He'd risk his own life to take the bad guys down. It's what he does, what we all do. It's why he's so good at it. I'll not forgive you, Owen if he doesn't pull through. Now Kensi and Deeks are coming back here so you can debrief them. Now excuse me but I've got to go to the hospital."

"Henrietta, I'm sorry about Agent Callen, I really am but we didn't know for sure his cover was compromised – we had to risk it" but he was talking to her back. "Henrietta?"


	3. Chapter 3

A/N Thanks to all who have read and reviewed - it really is most appreciated. Please forgive me if I get any medical terminology or procedures wrong.

Chapter 3:

At the hospital Hetty found Sam waiting in the family area pacing up and down, a worried look on his face. "Any news, Mr Hanna?"

"No. He's not long gone into surgery. His stats dropped so they had to stabilise him again before they could take him to theatre. I should be used to this by now but it doesn't get any easier."

"No, Sam, it certainly doesn't. He shouldn't have gone back in, it was too dangerous."

"I wasn't happy about it, nor was he, but he felt we had no choice. We didn't know if his cover was blown and we needed to find out whether Dallas had gotten hold of the cobalt. I tried to talk him out of it, I had a bad feeling about it, but he still went in."

"Mmm, Owen Granger has a lot to answer for" Hetty muttered, almost to herself.

Surprisingly Sam answered, "I feel the same but look at it from his point of view. You were in DC and someone had to run the show. He was flexing his managerial muscles."

"Yes and look what happened! No, you're right Sam. I shouldn't blame Granger. He has a job to do. We all do and we must obey orders whatever the consequences. Come on, Sam, sit down & tell me what happened."

Sam did as he was told and went over what had happened at the Bank and at the warehouse as well as how Callen was being held. When he said that Charlie Connor was found dead at Callen's feet and it looked like he was killed because he tried to help Callen, Hetty sighed "Oh dear, Mr Callen won't like that."

"Yeah, but why would he care so much about a racist scumbag like Connor?" asked Sam.

"You would have to ask him that but I think you're being a little hard on Charlie Connor. Yes, he was part of a white supremacist group and had been in jail numerous times, but I think he was impressionable. I think Mr Callen saw something in him, maybe something that reminded him of himself when he was younger."

"But G isn't racist nor a criminal" countered Sam.

"No, indeed he's not. But if he made different choices, he might well have been on the other side of the law. I know you two are close but there is still a lot he hasn't told you about his past. Well the past that he knows about anyway" chuckled Hetty. She sighed again "It's not my place to tell you but it's complicated, Sam. You know he didn't have a conventional upbringing. He'll tell you when he's ready, I'm sure. He trusts you implicitly. You, me and the team are the few people he does trust."

"I know" said Sam.

"How did you take Dallas down? He wasn't alone surely" asked Hetty.

"No, he had three others with him. We breached the room and took them down but Dallas was quick and stepped behind Callen so I didn't have a shot. He grabbed his head & pulled it back & placed the knife against his throat." Hetty took a small intake of breath as she listened to Sam and noticed the concern in his face as he recounted the tale. "For all the beating he'd taken, and the pain he must have been in, G still managed to kick out at Dallas taking him by surprise so he slackened his grip and stumbled away enough for me to get a clear shot. You've got to hand it to him, Hetty. And he stayed in character too. He said to me 'I didn't tell, Sam, my cover's intact'" which Sam uttered with a choke in his voice.

"Yes, he's good, very good at undercover work. But I do worry about the psychological effect it has on him – on all of you, but Mr Callen especially."

"If he survives this, then I'm sure he'll be fine, Hetty."

They sat in silence for a while before a doctor came towards them. "Is there any news?" asked Hetty.

"Are you here for the Federal Agent?" When they nodded, he continued "Sorry, he's still in surgery. He has a lot of injuries that they're dealing with. As soon as there's any news, we'll come and tell you, I promise."

"I understand. Thank you Dr" said Hetty as Sam nodded his understanding.

They continued to talk while they waited for news. Three hours had passed when Hetty saw Dr Grant coming towards them. She stood up shakily.

"Hetty" he said in greeting holding out his arms to hug her and give her a kiss on the cheek.

"Hello, Michael. So good of you to do this for me."

"Not at all. I know what he means to you." Sam glanced at Hetty who seemed embarrassed by what the Dr had said.

Releasing Hetty, Dr Grant looked across at Sam. "You must be Mr Callen's partner. Pleased to meet you. Sorry it's under such circumstances."

"Likewise. How is he?" asked Sam.

Ushering them back to the chairs, Dr Grant sat down on the table opposite them. "Well, he's come through surgery and is in recovery. He'd lost a lot of blood before he got here. He had internal bleeding and was losing it as fast as we could replace it. He's also got so many serious injuries that it was hard to know which to see to first." Seeing the look on their faces, he continued "I'm not going to lie to you, he's not out of the woods yet but he's fit & strong & it won't …..."

Dr Grant was interrupted by the sound of alarms going off in a nearby room, a scurry of activity from the nursing staff and a colleague shouting "Dr Grant, his stats are falling, he's crashing!"

"Damn, I was afraid of this. Sorry I've got to go." Sam and Hetty stood and moved to a position where they could see the recovery room as Dr Grant rose. Holding Hetty's hand he said, "I'll do all I can to save him, I promise" and turned to run back to the recovery room.

As he went through the door, Hetty and Sam caught sight of a nurse performing CPR on Callen and another shouting 'Charging' & then 'Clear' as the defibrillator was applied to his chest. His body rose as the electric current surged through him. Then the door closed shutting off the noise of the organised chaos.

Hetty gasped and grabbed Sam's arm for support as her legs gave way. He led her back to the chairs and helped her sit down. "Are you OK? Do you want some water?"

"Thank you Sam, but no. I'm fine. It was .. such a shock, seeing that …" and her voice trailed off. "Bugger! This is no way for an Ops Manager to act. I should be the strong one, supporting all the others."

"Hetty, it's OK. I know how much G means to you, you don't have to hide it."

"Sam, I don't have favourites."

"Yes, you do but you don't play the favourites card, which is a different ball game. I know all your agents mean a lot to you but you have history with G, I know that and I understand. And I respect you for it. You're a true professional, Hetty."

Patting his hand, she said. "Bless you, Sam. Callen's lucky to have a friend like you. You're chalk and cheese but you complement each other so well."

Just then Dr Grant came back. "I'm sorry you both had to witness that. For all your background in the agency, it can't be easy seeing a friend or colleague like that."

"No Michael, it isn't. What happened? How is he?"

"A fragment of rib had pierced the pericardium and he was bleeding into it, which caused the cardiac arrest. We've fixed it. He's still critical but stable. We're just transferring him up to a private room in ICU and once he's settled I'll take you both there. I've got him on life support." Seeing their anxious faces, he quickly continued "No, no it's not like that. He has suffered traumatic injuries, you understand. By putting him on life support, in a medically induced coma, it allows his body to heal without the added pressure of undertaking the normal functions."

Looking relieved, Hetty asked, "Sam was with Mr Callen at the scene so has seen his injuries but I haven't. Can you please describe them?"

"I'm not going to hide anything from you or try to protect you in any way, Hetty. I know what a tough cookie you are. You have to be in your job."

Taking a deep breath, Dr Grant continued. "He's got a fractured skull, fractured cheek bone, fractured jaw, broken left collar bone, open fracture to the left arm; we've immobilised it but can't put it in plaster until the external wound has healed. All his ribs are either cracked or broken. Again there's little we can do but we've ensured there're all in line so we won't have any surprises later on. He's some cuts on his face & body, some are very long & deep enough to cause immense pain but not causing any damage to the internal organs; these have been stitched . He's got several stab wounds that did cause problems internally – perforated bowel and liver. He has a ruptured spleen, caused by the beating rather than the stabbing – again this has been sutured – but he's unlikely to lose it. On top of all that there are swellings and contusions."

"My God" breathed Hetty in disbelief.

"Indeed" countered Dr Grant. "It is amazing that he survived. What I'm worried about, however, is his fractured skull. We've done a scan and there are signs of a bleed. I had to drill into his skull to release some pressure and all looks OK at the moment. Obviously with head injuries there is always a danger of brain damage. I don't think it will be an issue but we really won't know till he wakes up. I will be keeping a very close eye on him and will be doing more scans."

"Thank you, Michael, for being so blunt. It's what we need to hear. And thank you for what you've done already. I can't thank you enough" said Hetty.

Sam shook Dr Grant's hand "Thank you Dr. I really appreciate it. If there is anything I can do for you, just ask."

"I hope I won't have need of your skills but it's nice to know. Come on, I'll take you to him. He should be settled by now." He led them to the private room in ICU where Callen was lying with on a ventilator and numerous tubes in his veins and monitors attached to his chest constantly checking his vitals.

"Here he is. Please stay as long as you like. I will make it clear to the ICU staff that visiting hours will not apply to you or his family and friends, but I must insist on only two of you being in the room at any one time. There may be times when you will be asked to leave if tests need to be run for instance but otherwise come and go as you please. Although he's in a medically induced coma, stimulate his mind by talking to him, reading, playing music - not too loud so the other patients aren't disturbed - holding his hand, whatever you can think of that he may respond to."

"Thank you. I'll let my team know. How long will you keep him under?" asked Hetty.

"It depends. A minimum of a fortnight I would think to give his injuries time to heal. I'll keep assessing his physical progress as to how well he's doing. If all goes well, I'll lessen the medication until he's off them completely and remove the life support equipment. Then it will be up to him."

"Michael, I can't thank you enough for what you've done already."

Dr Grant bent to hug and kiss Hetty as he prepared to leave them. "It's a pleasure to be able to repay you for all your kindness, Hetty. Get settled but call me if you have any other questions. I'll let the ICU staff know to offer you every curtesy too."

"Thanks Dr" said Sam as he shook his hand and Dr Grant turned away from them.

Turning to Hetty, Sam said "Shall we go in?"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Hetty took a deep breath and entered the room just ahead of Sam. When she saw Callen lying motionless on the bed amongst all the wires and tubes, she gasped and grabbed for Sam's arm to steady herself, for what she was confronted with was not at all what she imagined. His face was almost unrecognisable with his eyes swollen shut and his face distorted by the bruising and swelling, together with a shaved head and gauze covering the area of the skull where they had operated. The only sound was the bleeping of the heart monitor and the steady rise and fall of the ventilator helping him breathe.

Sam helped her to a chair and they sat down. "I've seen some terrible things in my life but I'll never get over what men can do to each other" said Hetty.

"Me too" said Sam. "Hetty, tell me to mind my own business, but what is Dr Grant to you? He's not Navy so I'm wondering why he's being so accommodating."

"I'm his godmother. He's the son of a close friend of mine, now dead I'm afraid. My friend made me one of the executors of the trust that he put aside for Michael's education. We've kept in touch over the years and when he decided to train as a doctor, I put him in touch with some friends who could help him."

"He's not one of your orphans then?" enquired Sam.

"No, Sam, he's not. I know you want to stay with Mr Callen and believe me when I say I'm not trying to get rid of you, but shouldn't you go home to your family?"

"I'll stay a little while before I go home and let Michelle know. We'll have to decide what to tell Kamran – she expects to see her Uncle Callen most days and will wonder where he is. But I'll be back tomorrow morning to spell you."

"Thanks, Sam. Before you go, I'll contact Granger and the others to let them know how he is. I'll update Director Vance as well as Granger will have told him the news. Not sure about Granger, but I know the others will want to come and visit as well so we will need to set up a rota of sorts. Unfortunately, we will have to keep working as well".

Hetty stood up and left the room, leaving Sam sitting in the chair by Callen's bed. Hetty glanced back and noticed Sam was holding Callen's hand and talking to him quietly. She went to an area where she could phone the Ops Centre and spoke to Granger, who put the call on speaker at Hetty's request so that Kensi, Deeks, Nell and Eric could all hear about the Callen's condition.

"Dr Grant and the hospital staff have been very good. We can come and go as we please but only 2 can be in the room at any one time. I will stay at Callen's side for most of the time as I'm sure will Sam – I can be contacted easily enough if I'm needed desperately but I'm sure Assistant Director Granger will be happy to take the lead for the time being. Obviously you will all wish to visit at same stage so we can work that out so that any cases we're working on aren't compromised. After I speak to Director Vance, I'll go back to the room to let Sam go home to speak to Michelle."

Kensi spoke, "Is it OK if I call in on my way home, Hetty?"

"Of course, my dear. I'll see you later."

Once Hetty hung up, there was chatter amongst the team until they all went their separate ways.

Hetty phoned Director Vance "Hello Leon, have you been briefed?"

"Yes, Henrietta, Owen has given me a run down, but I don't know all the details. But first, how is Agent Callen?"

"Critical but stable at the moment. He suffered tremendous and traumatic injuries from beatings and stabbings. It's a wonder he's alive from what the Dr has said and what I've seen. " She went on to catalogue some of the injuries.

"I'm sorry Henrietta. Callen is a good man and a great agent. You can be proud that because of his work the group was taken down."

"Yes, I'm very proud, not just of Mr Callen but the whole team. But sometimes I think the price is too high" concluded Hetty.

"I agree but unfortunately this scenario is part of the job description. He's fit and strong and I'm sure he'll pull through. Keep me posted on his condition, Henrietta."

"I will, Leon" as they ended the call.

Hetty went back to the room where Sam was still sitting with his partner. "Did you speak to the team and the Director?"asked Sam.

"Yes, they've been fully updated; Kensi, and no doubt Mr Deeks, will call in on their way home. Director Vance sends his congratulations on a job well done as well as wishing Mr Callen well."

"I'll wait till Kensi and Deeks come before I leave but I'll be back before work tomorrow."

"That's fine" said Hetty as Sam moved to the other chair so she could be next to Callen.

It wasn't long before Sam noticed Kensi & Deeks outside the room. He went out to see them, hugging Kensi and shaking hands with Deeks.

"How's he doing?" asked Deeks.

"Critical but hanging in there" answered Sam, "Go on in, Kens" as she slipped past him, patting his arm, to go sit next to Hetty. They exchanged a few words before Hetty got up & came out.

"Mr Deeks, give her a few moments & then go in. I think she'll need your support. This is likely to bring back unwanted memories of Afghanistan" said Hetty.

They chatted amongst themselves about Callen, how the others were taking it until Sam noticed that Kensi had turned her head away from Callen, looking out the window. He nudged Deeks, who nodded his understanding and quietly entered the room, sat down next to her and put his arm round her shoulders. Still clutching Callen's hand, she turned and buried her face into Deeks's shoulder, sobbing.

Hetty turned back to Sam "Oh dear and she was doing so well."

"She is, Hetty. She's tough, much stronger than she thinks but as you know it was quite an ordeal for her and this" indicating Callen "has brought it all back as you thought it would. We're close as team and this has hit her every bit as hard as it's hit me – and you. We may think of you as the invincible ninja, the legend that is Henrietta Lang but we know you have a soft side" Seeing Hetty's disapproving look "OK, softer side" he smiled and Hetty smiled back. "And given your history with G. Give her time, she'll be strong for him and the team"

"Yes, you're right Sam. I know she'll be fine. You get off now. Yes, of course I'll let you know immediately if there's any change" she said to his unasked question.

Hetty turned to watch her other agent and the LAPD liaison officer with Callen. Kensi stood to kiss Callen gently on the cheek before placing her hand on Deeks's shoulder and left the room leaving Deeks alone with Callen.

Hetty held out her hands to Kensi which she took. "Are you OK my dear?"

"I'm fine. It just hit me seeing him lying there like that … so still .. he's like a brother to me and I hate to think of him hurt like that. It brought it all back .. what happened to me" Kensi was obviously very emotional and had difficulty getting the words out.

"There, there," said Hetty hugging her. "It's alright to feel this way – it's only natural. And that experience is still raw. Mr Callen will pull through, I'm sure. It is difficult for us all. We must help each other."

"Thank you. I'll be fine. And I will be strong for Callen and the team," said Kensi wiping her eyes as Deeks left the room, his normally smiling face shrouded with concern.

"Mr Deeks? Asked Hetty

"Yes, Hetty? Oh," he said as he realised why she'd spoken "Everything's fine. I know what we do can be dangerous but this is just unreal" nodding his head at the scene behind him. "When can we come back & sit with him?"

"Give it a couple of days in case the others want to come. But of course we can work something out."

When they left Hetty returned to continue her vigil with her lead agent.


	5. Chapter 5

Please forgive any medical inaccuracies that I may have written. Thanks again to all who have read and reviewed. Your comments are greatly appreciated.

Chapter 5:

The days turned to weeks as the team continued to share the bedside vigil as well as undertaking their day to day NCIS cases. Even Arkady and, more surprisingly, Granger had taken their turn on several occasions. Cards and messages were received from friends and colleagues including Nate, who was abroad on a mission, Gibbs, Abby and Tim from the DC office and the Hawaii 5-0 team, all of which were read to Callen and kept for his recovery. The doctors and nursing staff went about their duties and continued the care of their patient. Dr Grant caught up with Hetty one day, although their paths had crossed on several occasions as he kept her appraised of his patient's progress.

"Hello Hetty, how are you?" he asked

"Very well, Michael. Do you have any news?"

"Yes, I do. I've just got the results of the latest CAT scan. There are no signs of any bleeds or indeed brain damage. Over the next few days I will gradually reduce the medication that is keeping him under so I can take him off life support. Then it, will be up to him."

"That's good news indeed. How are the other injuries responding? He's certainly looking better" commented Hetty.

"Extremely well, I'm pleased to say. Much of the bruising and swellings have gone. I will need to check his arm but all the breaks, internal injuries and stab wounds appear to be healing very well with no infection or complications. I'm really pleased with his progress."

"Thank you, Michael, for all you and your team have done. I'm very grateful"said Hetty, her voice thick with emotion.

"I will warn you that once he wakes up, the real work will begin. He'll have to work hard to get back to a level of fitness when he can return to work. And that's just his body. I don't know him but I'm concerned about his mental state. Physically his injuries were traumatic but the ordeal would've had an enormous effect psychologically as well."

"Yes, I am aware of that. And I'm quite worried about the likely psychologically effect as well." Hetty sighed. "He's had a rather unconventional upbringing which has made him an exceptionally good agent, specialising in undercover work. He is a lone wolf – a tribe of one as a dear friend called him. However, he has gradually learned to trust a select few, namely myself and the rest of his team. I have to say that my team, under his leadership, is rated as the best NCIS has. His friends will be there to help him – if he lets them. No one likes to show weakness and Mr Callen is no exception. He's been seriously hurt before – gunned down in a drive by – and survived; I think it made him stronger. This may be different – we'll just have to wait and see."

"Indeed. I'll keep you updated" said Dr Grant as he left Hetty to go back and sit with Callen.

Sometime in the middle of night, Sam came into the room and found Hetty asleep in the chair beside Callen. Taking a blanket he gently placed it over Hetty before taking a chair and putting it the other side of the bed so that he could speak to Callen quietly without disturbing her. A couple of hours later she woke up and, feeling the blanket, smiled and said "Thank you. I assume that was you, Sam?"

"Yes. Why are you still here? G's out of danger now" asked Sam.

"I could ask the same of you, Mr Hanna. You should be with your family."

"I am. G isn't just my partner or a work colleague, he's a friend and therefore family, especially as he doesn't have any of his own. Y'know I spend more time with G than with Michelle and she understands; she's in the business and appreciates the importance of the relationship partners have."

"Indeed, Sam, and that's why I'm still here. Circumstances have meant that I have no family of my own. I may be your Ops Manager and to other managers, you would all be just assets but each one under my care is a name and a face and therefore my family. I have great affection for those under my charge but, as you say, I have history with Mr Callen. He is much more like the son I never had." Hetty shook her head as if annoyed with herself for opening up.

"Perhaps you should tell him. I'm pretty sure he thinks of you as more than just a manager. You are the closest person he has as a mother figure, seeing as his own mother was murdered when he was about 4."

Hetty smiled. "I'd like to think so but I shouldn't have said that, Sam. It makes it sound as if I hold Mr Callen in higher esteem than anyone else. I don't. Every time I send any or all of you out on a case, I worry whether someone won't return. Thankfully you all have done so."

"Hetty, I've said it before. You don't have to worry about me or the others. We all know you and G have history even if we don't fully understand how or why. That's between the two of you and you will tell us if you want to and when the time is right. That won't affect our work or stop us behaving professionally. G is my partner and a friend. I love him like a brother. He's a colleague and friend to the rest of the team as well including Nell and Eric. We all care very much about each other and would do anything for one another, put our lives on the line and even die for them. You know that and know that G would do the same." Sam paused for breath.

"Perhaps you should follow your own advice and tell Mr Callen" said Hetty, smiling at her agent.

"I think he knows but you also know that we all hold you in great esteem as a manager and agent but also love and care for you too as a person – even if you scare us a little," Sam said with a grin.

"Only a little?" countered Hetty with mock seriousness.

"Mmm. We've shown on many occasions that we'd do anything for you. Did you know when Mattias was after you, G got all his cash together and posted a bounty for info on Mattias' whereabouts?"

Hetty was shocked "No, no I didn't."

"I don't think he had to pay out as Mattias killed Salazar and his crew. However he defied Granger and went off the reservation to find you."

"Whilst it was very much appreciated, I didn't believe I was in danger. I was a little upset with Mr Callen for his reckless actions and told him so" countered Hetty.

"That's the point, Hetty. It wasn't reckless. Yes, he was very emotional and extremely angry you were in danger but everything he did was thought through professionally. Plus I was there to rein him in! But we all supported him."

"Mr Callen is very lucky to have friends like you and the others. Separately you are quite dysfunctional but together you make one hell of a team!" said Hetty proudly.

"Yes, and we're lucky to have someone like you guiding us" countered Sam. "Now, are we both going to stay here or are you going to go home and get some proper rest?" asked Sam.

"Very well, Sam, I'll go home now but I'll be back in the morning. I believe Dr Grant will be taking Mr Callen off the life support tomorrow. He feels his condition has improved immensely and the meds keeping him in a coma have been reduced sufficiently for this to happen. I want to be there as no doubt you will."

"That's good news, Hetty. Now get some rest and I'll see you tomorrow. Will you let the others know in the morning?"

"Yes, I will. As we don't know how long it will take Mr Callen to wake up, we can continue the visits. Even after he awakes, he won't be discharged for a while."

The next morning Hetty went to work to speak to Granger and the team in person and tell them the latest situation and what was going to happen later that morning.

"That's good news" said Kensi, "Do we know how long it takes before he wakes up?"

"No, Dr Grant couldn't say. And he didn't want to give us false hope by speculating. Every case is different as it depends on the individual. I promise I will update you as soon as I can. In the meantime we can continue the visits as we've been doing. He'll still be in hospital for a while after he regains consciousness."

Hetty left them to return to the hospital where Dr Grant was preparing to remove the life support equipment. Sam was waiting outside and greeted Hetty. They watched as Dr Grant removed the tube from Callen's throat and anything that was connected to the machine. Giving Callen a final examination, Dr Grant switched off the machine.

Hetty and Sam held their breaths. The monitors still attached to Callen's body continued to register his heart beat and his other vitals. To everyone's relief the display remained constant. Dr Grant, after checking his patient was breathing on his own, turned and gave them the thumbs up sign. They turned and hugged each other and when Dr Grant left the room, hugged him as well.

"All appears to be fine. His vitals are good and he's breathing on his own. Now it's up to him; he'll regain consciousness when he's ready" Dr Grant said.

Hetty phoned DC to update Director Vance while Sam contacted Ops to update Granger and the team. Vance said he would let Gibbs and his team know the latest situation as they had been kept in the loop because Gibbs and Callen were close, with Abby and Tim having worked with Callen as well.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thanks to all who have read and reviewed - your comments are very much appreciated. I apologise if what I've written is medically inaccurate but it fits the story. Also I hope I haven't offended anyone who has lived with or experienced brain injury; it isn't my intention to offend anyone with my stories.

To Mulderette: I'm updating so quickly because I had already written the story to a certain stage. All I've had to do is break it down into chapters and re-read to refine when I have the opportunity. Glad you're enjoying it.

Chapter 6:

The routine continued for another three weeks before Dr Grant made a point of meeting with Hetty.

"Is there something wrong, Michael? I would have thought he'd have woken up by now."

"Yes. I'm a little concerned. I've done further tests and there is no physical reason why he's still under. There's normal brain activity and everything else is healing nicely. I can only assume there's something going on in his head that's stopping him waking."

Hetty looked at him quizzically.

"He's undergone a very traumatic ordeal both physically and mentally. It seems to me that he doesn't want to wake up – not yet anyway."

"I see. Any idea how long?" asks Hetty.

"I'm at a total loss I'm afraid, Hetty. I don't know him well enough to even suggest a scenario that would keep him under. Only he – or his closest friends – would be able to answer that. I can only work on his physical state."

"Thanks Michael. Let me see what I can come up with." Hetty took out her phone & dialed a number.

"Mr Getz, where are you?" Hetty asked when the phone was answered.

"Hello Hetty. I've just landed and I'm actually on the way to the hospital to see Callen. What's up?"

"No, that's good. I'll tell you when you arrive."

On arrival, Hetty met Nate outside the room. Although Callen was no longer critical he had been kept in a private room. Nate looked passed Hetty into the room. "Oh I would have thought he'd be conscious by now."

"That's the problem. His condition has improved significantly so he is no longer on meds to keep him in a coma. But he has yet to wake. The Doctor says there is nothing physically keeping him under. It is as if he doesn't want to wake up. I'm worried about him, Nate. Would do you think?"

"I agree with the Doctor. He's suffered a traumatic ordeal especially physically. But he's been badly hurt before. I would say he is normally mentally strong. What was the nature of the assignment? And what made it different from the rest?"

"I wish I knew then I'd perhaps be able to help him. Here's what I know" said Hetty as she gave Nate a brief run down.

"Could it have something to do with Charlie Connor?" wondered Nate.

"Perhaps" answered Hetty. "Go in and sit with him. As you've been away, you haven't had a chance. Talk to him; perhaps he'll wake up for you."

Nate gave a little laugh "Oh I doubt it, Hetty. None of the team particularly like the head shrink aspect of my work but I'll go in." Hetty watched her Occupational Psychologist turned Special Agent sit and speak to Callen, his hand resting on Callen's arm but she couldn't hear what was said.

"Hey, Callen. How y'a doing? Sorry I haven't been here before now but I've only just got back into the country. I'd tell you where I've been and what I was doing but I'd have to kill you. I've always wanted to say that but I guess in the circumstances it is bad taste - sorry. I wish you could tell me what's keeping you under. We're all worried about you y'know. Everyone's taken turns in sitting with you even Granger, I've been told. Hetty and Sam have hardly left your side. We all care about you and we want to help but you've got to trust us and let us in. Look G, I know you find it hard to trust and don't talk about your feelings so I won't push it. But I'm here as a friend – not a psychologist – whenever you're ready." Nate continued to chat about mundane non-threatening subjects before he said. "Looks like someone else is here to see you so I'll go but I'll come back again"

Just after Nate went into Callen, Hetty's phone rang "Jethro, thank you for getting back to me so quickly."

"A pleasure, Hetty. What can I do for you? Callen's not had a relapse, has he?"

"No but it does concern Mr Callen. His Doctor is worried – we all are – that he's showing no signs of waking up even though it's been nearly four weeks since he came off the life support and no longer in a medically induced coma. As you have worked together and I know he respects you and regards you as a good friend, I was hoping that you could send a video message that we could play to him."

"I can do better than that. I was going to take some time to come and see him when he was awake but I guess I could come now. I'd have to clear it with Leon but it shouldn't be a problem. If all goes well I could hitch a lift on a military flight or fly red eye to LA so could be with you tomorrow morning."

"Marvellous and thank you - it would be good to see you again, Jethro."

"If there's a problem, I'll contact you but otherwise I'll see you tomorrow."

Nate came out of the room as Hetty terminated the call with Gibbs. He was frowning slightly and looking over her head. "Nate, what's wrong" she asked.

Continuing his stare, he just nodded in the direction he was looking and Hetty turned round to see Tuhon standing there.

"My God, Tuhon. What are you doing here?"

"Hetto Hetty. I've been following Callen's progress. It was time I came to see him."

"My old friend, I'm delighted that you're here but is it safe for you?"

Tuhon just shrugged and continued "My safety is not an issue. I've come for Callen"

Nate was getting a little nervous "Hetty, is there a problem?"

"Oh no, Mr Getz, everything is fine. This is Tuhon, an old friend of mine and Mr Callen; in fact he was Callen and Sam's first case – it's a long story. Tuhon, this is Nate Getz, one of my team."

They shook hands and Nate said, "I'll be off but I'll come back at another time. I'll stick around as you're short staffed – if the team needs me, I'll be here."

Hetty thanked Nate and said goodbye as Tuhon went into Callen's room. "Well my friend, you've been in the wars. I hear that you're doing well but won't wake up. When we first met, I called you A Tribe of One. I know that you still have that tendency but you're no longer that as you've now found a family in your partner and your team. That's good. I saw it myself when we met last. You have grown and evolved and for that reason, I want to present you with this." He placed the blade that he had made himself in Callen's hand and gently closed his fingers around the handle. Tuhon took his other hand and ran it over the weapon, careful not to cut him.

Hetty was watching through the glass. She placed her hand over her mouth in surprise and felt herself getting emotional. Tuhon had given her one as well and it was considered a great honour.

Tuhon continued "You know I made one for Hetty and now I have made one for you. These are only for warriors who have earned the respect of the Tribe. It's been a privilege to work beside you and I am proud to see how far you've come. I know you will cherish this and treat it with the respect it deserves. For the time being I'd best give this to Hetty to look after for you" as he gently removed the weapon from his hand. He thought he felt some resistance.

"I'm sure the hospital staff won't like it on show. Concentrate on getting better and resolving whatever conflict is stopping you coming back to us. When you awake I will be in contact with you again. Adios amigo."

Tuhon went out to Hetty and said, taking his hands in hers "Tuhon, what an amazing gesture – he'll be thrilled."

"He deserves it. At our last encounter he proved that he has matured into a great warrior. Y'know when I was taking if off him, I'm sure I felt a little resistance."

"Perhaps he's starting to come back to us. I hope so, the tribe isn't as strong without him. They're worried about him, as am I."

"How's Sam taking it?" asked Tuhon

"He's strong but distracted, obviously. Mr Callen is like a brother, part of his family so he's very concerned. Will you have time for dinner or a drink tonight? It would be good to catch up"

"Yes, of course; I'd like that, but then I must get back. But I'll keep in touch and will come back when Callen is up and about. I think he will need more help then."

"Good. Sam will be here soon. He will be pleased to see you."

At that moment Sam walked in and although surprised to see him, greeted Tuhon with affection. After a few minutes, Tuhon took his leave and promised to meet Hetty later on. Hetty spoke to Sam about Nate's visit, the gift Tuhon had left for Callen and the call she had with Gibbs.

"I'm sorry I missed Nate but it'll be good to have him back for a while. We all miss him. I was surprised to see Tuhon. I didn't know he knew about G."

"I don't know where he's living now but we have a means of keeping in touch especially for emergencies. I thought he should know about Mr Callen. He's been getting regular updates on his status" confirmed Hetty.

"OK. That was great gesture giving G the tribal blade. I hope it wasn't his imagination that there was resistance when he took it away. It could be a sign that he's beginning to wake up. It'll also be good to see Gibbs again too; it's a long time since he was out here on that case we all worked on – the one that ended in G being gunned down. It'll be good for G too; he and Gibbs have history; let's hope he can get through to him. I'm running out of ideas of what might stimulate him. Kamran's been asking about him a lot and wants to see him. Now his injuries have healed and he looks like he's asleep, I think I'll bring her in. Michelle would come in again too now she's back in the country."

Hetty took her leave and went to meet Tuhon at the pre-arranged location leaving Sam to sit with Callen through the night as he had done almost every night since his partner and friend had been admitted. Sam spoke to him about the day's work, how the rest of the team are, what they were up to; Sam told him about Michelle's latest case taking her out of the country again; he told him about how Aiden was doing at the Academy and about the things Kamran was up to at school and outside of school hours. He told him that Kamran was always asking when Callen was coming to see her.

"Michelle and I have told her that you were badly hurt and are in hospital so can't come and see her. If you don't get your butt out of here soon, I'm gonna have to bring her in to see you. So you've been warned, G." Sam head slumped as if in defeat and he let out a big sigh. "G, I don't know what else to do. I know you went through a terrible ordeal, but you've been through stuff as bad if not worse. What's troubling you so much that you won't wake up? We all miss you. We love you, man and want to help you but you've got to let us in. You've got to wake up so that we can help. I hope you can hear us because you'll know how many people love and care about you. Tuhon even came out of hiding to come and visit you. And look at the gift he gave you. Hey, that's a real honour, G. We're all getting on with life, with work. We're functioning but that's all we're doing. It's not the same without you – you make us strong. We need you, bro."


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thanks to all who have read and reviewed - your comments are very much appreciated.

Chapter 7:

Sam continued to talk to Callen, play him messages and music. Sam was dozing when Granger entered the room. "What you doing here?" asked Sam when he woke and found the Assistant Director sitting the other side of the bed.

"I couldn't sleep. So I thought I'd come here and see how Agent Callen's doing and spell you for a bit" answered Granger.

"Still not waking up but otherwise he's doing OK." Sam sighed. "Y'know I'm at a loss what to do or say now. Nothing seems to work. And it's hard going to work without him. It's like not having my right arm, y'know? I know the others feel the same. We're used to working apart on cases if one or more of us are undercover but we're still together, still a team. When one of us isn't here – like Kensi in Afghanistan or Deeks going back to LAPD or G lying here – it's not right."

"You're a great team; generally regarded as the best NCIS has, certainly in this field. That's why I'm so hard on you all. Any animosity you feel towards me, helps you all focus and work better as a unit. Not that you need it. I'm proud of you all and I'm actually very fond of you all too but don't tell anyone." Seeing Sam's reaction, Granger continued "Yeah, yeah I know I don't show it! But it doesn't make it any less true. In our roles, Henrietta and I have to remain aloof so that we can be objective and make the correct decisions. But we do worry about you every time we send you out."

"Hmm, Hetty said something similar to me when we were sitting here" admitted Sam.

"How's your family holding up? I guess between work and here, you're not home much" asked Granger.

"They're good. Michelle knows the score, being a CIA agent and she understands my relationship with G. She feels the same as he's part of the family. The kids know what we both do in general terms. Michelle had to tell them to explain why I got shot and why Michelle is away so much, but we're careful not discuss specifics so that she and Aiden are safe and we're not compromised. She's young but she's bright. She knows she must keep to our cover stories. Aiden's at Military Academy so he knows how it is. They also know that G's an agent too. I'm gonna bring Kam in to see him in the next day or so. She's been pestering me to see her Uncle Callen," Sam said smiling.

"It's hard enough when you've no family; I can only imagine how it is for you and Michelle. You must be proud of them though."

"Yeah, we are – they're good kids."

"I'm happy to stay here for the rest of the night. Do you want to go home to your family?" asked Granger.

"Thanks – I will. I'll see you tomorrow," said Sam gratefully.

Granger stayed with Callen until Hetty came in first thing in the morning. "Owen, what are you doing here?" she asked, surprised to see him.

"I couldn't sleep so I came in to spell Sam. We had a good chat before he went home. He's gonna bring his daughter in to see Callen soon. Apparently she's been asking about him."

"Yes, Mr Callen is a regular at the Hanna house and Kamran really likes him a lot. Sam doesn't trust his kids with many people but Mr Callen's an exception. Now his injuries have healed it shouldn't be traumatic for her to see him. Jethro Gibbs should be here this morning too. I spoke to him last night, hoping he'd send a video message but he said he'd come in person, either coming by a military flight or by red-eye." Glancing at her watch, she continued "So he should be here shortly.."

"You know for someone who is a loner and doesn't trust anyone, Callen sure has a lot of people who care about him and will do anything for him" commented Granger.

"Yes, he certainly does" answered Hetty "and you're one of them, Owen!"

"I guess I am, Henrietta, but don't tell anyone; it will ruin my reputation" he said smiling.

"I think it is too late for that, Owen. You have already shown everyone in the team the more caring side of you. It's nice to see that you've mellowed" said Hetty, patting his hand.

They continued to talk until Hetty heard a familiar voice. "Hetty, Assistant Director, how are you both?"

"Special Agent Gibbs, it is good to see you" said Granger.

"Jethro, thanks so much for coming" Hetty said. "Oh my, you've got company" she added looking behind him to see Abby Sciuto bringing up the rear.

"Yep, she wanted to come as well; she says she hasn't thanked Callen properly for saving her life last year," answered Gibbs.

"Hello everyone" said Abby "I had to come with Gibbs to see Special Agent G Callen. Can I go in and see him while you're all chatting?"

"Of course, my dear" said Hetty. "Take as long as you like. We've got things to discuss."

Abby entered Callen's room and stood for a moment before going over to him and kissing him on the cheek. "Hello, G. It's Abby, Abby Sciuto from DC. I've come to see you. Sorry I haven't been able to come sooner but we've been busy." She continued to natter to Callen whilst the others watched and waited outside. Granger said his goodbyes and promised to return.

Gibbs smiled warmly when Abby bent to kiss Callen. "She's a special lady, Hetty. A bit nuts, but very intelligent and very caring. She's been really upset since she heard – we all have – and has been pestering me for ages to bring her to LA to see him. She's very fond of G especially since he rescued her last year. I was going to come when he was up and about – I thought he might need me then – but from what you've said, I might be of more use now?"

"Yes, Jethro, I hope so. As I said on the phone, he's healing well but he won't wake up. His doctor, a good friend of mine, says there's nothing physical that's keeping him under. The brain scans are good; there's normal brain activity and no sign of any more bleeds or brain damage. Undoubtedly it was a traumatic ordeal and he suffered terrible injuries but he's been badly hurt before and as you know nearly died a few years ago. We're all at a bit of loss."

"Something obviously happened that's bothering him. Guess we won't know for sure until he wakes up."

"The only thing I can think of is he befriended a young man – Charlie Connor – whilst he was undercover. From what I know of Charlie's background, it is similar to Mr Callen's. He didn't know his father and his mother wasn't around much – in prison I think – and he was in and out of foster homes and got in with a bad crowd. I think Mr Callen took to him and wanted to help him."

"What happened to Charlie?" asked Gibbs.

"He was killed by the white supremacist leader. Mr Callen witnessed it I think."

"That could well be the key to G's problem" Gibbs said.

"Yes, Nate thinks so too. You remember him, from your time in LA when you worked with Mr Callen and his team?"

"Yes, I do. How is he?"

"Very well. He progressed from being the Occupational Psychologist to being a field agent – a good one too. He's back in LA, helping out. He'd like to see you I'm sure."

"I'm not sure how long we have here as we came primarily for Callen. But I'd like to see your new offices – Abby raves about them - and catch up with the team" Gibbs nodded towards Callen's room where Abby had just hugged him goodbye. "Looks like Abby's just about done; I'll go in and stay with him for a bit."

"Thank you Jethro. I'll take Abby back to the office so that she can catch up with Eric and the rest of the team. Give me a ring on my cell when you're ready. I'll come and collect you then take you back to the office."

Abby came out and ran to hug Gibbs. "I don't like people I care about getting hurt. Promise me you'll always be careful, Gibbs."

"Always, Abby. Now Hetty's going to take you back to the office so that you can catch up with Eric while I stay here with G. That OK with you?"

"Yes, it'll be great to see everyone again."

"Then let's go, my dear" said Hetty as she led Abby away from Gibbs who was now opening the door to go into Callen. He moved the chair so he was in a position he liked, took off his jacket and sat down facing Callen. He looked at his friend . He then took Callen's right hand in his left and placed his right hand on his arm, which he patted gently and started talking to him quietly, almost in a whisper.

"Phew! You've really been in the wars this time, Callen. What am I gonna do with you? Still your doctor says he's pleased with your progress; everything's healed nicely. Now you've just got to wake up for us so that we can get you fit enough to go back to work. You want that don't you? Hey, I remember those times we worked together – the times I saved your butt; yeah, I know and the times you've saved mine!"

Gibbs recounted some of those incidents and quietly laughed at some of the scraps they got themselves in "Those were good times, G. It's far more complicated now. I often wonder whether to jack it in – whether it's really worth the pain we go through, the sacrifice we make."

Jethro was silent for a while & took a deep sigh before continuing. "But y'know what? It is worth it. We do make a difference. You make a difference. I've seen first-hand the work you do; I know how good, how committed you are; I also know that it takes its toll. It's has to or we'd be no better than those we're fighting against. I also know how well you're respected as an Agent, not just in NCIS here in LA but in DC and other NCIS offices here and abroad; and other agencies as well – those you've worked in before joining NCIS and those that have worked with you on joint task forces. Tobias Fornell speaks very highly of you and always asks after you. I also know – and can see - how many people love and care about you. I can see that from the cards here waiting for you to read them when you wake up; from the number of people who've taken it in turns to sit with you day and night so you're not alone with strangers. All those who are trying to get through to you so that you will come back to us. Please don't let it be a waste of time. The world needs people like us – whether they realise it or not – and we need you, G. We need you to come back to us so you can continue doing what you're best at, what you were born to do. It's in our blood, it's in your blood."

Jethro paused again. "We may not be in touch as often as I'd like but you're family. And I don't have any left now Dad's passed. You may be on the other side of the country but if I needed your help, I know you'd come whatever the reason, whatever the consequence. I hope you know I'd do the same for you. You'd only have to ask. I know you still have trust issues – and I do as well – but trust me when I say there are people here you can trust and who will love to help you if you'd let them. I'm one of them and I will do everything in my power to get you well. So please wake up and let me help you."

Gibbs sat in silence for a while before tiredness caught up with him and he dozed still holding Callen's hand. He was waken an hour or so later by a nurse. "Sorry to disturb you sir, but I have to do some physio on him. Could you please wait outside?"

"Of course" said Gibbs as he got up & moved the chair. "Nurse, can you show me what to do? Perhaps I can do it so that you can do something else."

"Yes, Dr Grant says it is OK and a couple of his friends have been doing them already." The nurse showed Gibbs the exercises for the arms and hands and then went on to perform the exercises for the legs. She made sure that Gibbs was doing them correctly before leaving him. Gibbs continued to talk to Callen whilst he did the exercises.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Sorry for the delay in posting a new chapter. I'm so pleased so many of you are enjoying this story. Thanks to all who have read and reviewed - your comments are much appreciated.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, only my stories. NCIS LA is owned by CBS, Shane Brennan and all the writers. Thanks for bringing them to life for our pleasure.

Chapter 8:

Gibbs, who was undertaking physical therapy exercises on Callen, was so engrossed in what he was doing that he failed to notice others arriving until he heard a little voice saying indignantly "Who are you and what are you doing to my Uncle Callen?"

Gibbs turned to see a young black girl standing with her hands on her hips, glaring at him. Just then Sam came round the corner and took in the situation. "Kamran, it's OK. This is Special Agent Gibbs. He's a very good friend of Uncle G's. And he knows me too." Looking over to Gibbs, Sam says "Hi Gibbs, sorry about that. This is my daughter and she's very protective of G."

Gibbs stopped the physio and lowered Callen's leg and covered it up. Smiling, he shook Sam's hand "Sam, good to see you again. Sorry, it's under such circumstances".

"Yeah, man, it's tough" said Sam.

Gibbs turned his attention to Kamran, holding his hand out to her. "Hello. I'm Gibbs. What's your name?"

She took it gingerly and said "Kamran. Are you really Uncle Callen's friend?"

"That's a pretty name. Yes I am. I used to work with him a long time ago. Long before you were born and before he started working with your daddy. That's good that you're protecting G. He needs our help, doesn't he?"

"Yes I think so. But I haven't been allowed to see him until now. But Mommy and Daddy says it's OK now. Oh here's mommy now" as Michelle came up to them.

"Michelle, this is Special Agent Gibbs, a friend of G's. He heads up a NCIS team in DC. We've worked together in the past. Gibbs, this is Michelle, my wife – she's CIA" explained Sam.

Taking Michelle's hand, Gibbs shock it and said "Pleased to meet you. Sorry about Callen. I was just giving him some physio when you came. Let me say goodbye to him and he's all yours. I'm supposed to phone Hetty when I'm done. She's going to take me back to the office. Abby's there already."

"I caught up with her briefly earlier. I'll phone Hetty while you say goodbye" said Sam.

"Thanks" said Gibbs as he turned to go back to Callen. Taking Callen's right hand in his right hand, Gibbs said "Sam and his family are here now to see you. Hetty's gonna pick me up and take me back to the office to meet up with Abby. Sam and his family will be here but I'll be back later." Placing his left hand tenderly on Callen's head, he bent down to whisper in his ear "Remember what I told you, we need you to wake up. We all love and care about you. I love and care about you." As he went to turn away and take his hand from Callen's, he looked back as he felt a slight resistance, an almost imperceptible tightening of Callen's fingers but there was absolutely no change to his face or his body position. When Gibbs took his hand away, it came away easily with no resistance.

On leaving the room, Gibbs and Sam looked at one another as Michelle went into the room with Kamran.

"That was really odd" said Gibbs. "When I went to take my hand away, I was sure I felt Callen grip my hand. It was almost imperceptible but I swear he did."

At that moment, Hetty arrived and having caught the end of what Gibbs had said, countered "You're not the first, Jethro. Tuhon felt it when he took away a blade he had made for Mr Callen. Oh, it's a long story, I'll tell you later. I think you felt it just last night, didn't you Sam?"

"Yes, again I thought I was dreaming as there was no other change. I was very tired and had been dozing. Like with you, it was imperceptible but I swear I felt something."

"May be he's starting to wake up" said Gibbs.

"I do hope so" said Hetty.

Before Hetty and Gibbs could leave, something caught their attention. Kamran, who was in the room with Michelle, flung herself onto the bed and wrapped her arms around Callen. Although they couldn't hear her, she was sobbing "Why aren't you waking up? What have I done? Why don't you want to see me. Don't you love me anymore, Uncle Callen? I love you so much and I really miss you loads." Michelle was holding her hand to her mouth and tears were streaming down her cheeks and she looked from Callen and Kamran to those outside.

Sam was looking distraught and just about to go in when Gibbs, who had noticed something, put his hand on his arm, pointing at Callen. "Sam, Hetty – look! I think he's crying." They both looked and plainly saw a tear trickle from his eye.

Sam beckoned Michelle out of the room. He hugged her and asked "What happened? What did Kamie say?"

When Michelle told them, Gibbs and Sam both looked as if they were welling up and Hetty put her hand to her mouth "God, love her. Poor little mite" and wiped away a tear.

"Perhaps it was a bad idea to bring her, but I thought it was the right thing to do. I didn't want her to see him on life support and all beat up" said Sam.

Gibbs said "Sam, kids are so resilient. They understand much more than we give 'em credit for. I would've done the same thing but having heard what she said, if you hadn't have brought her in at all, she would've continued to think she'd done something wrong or that he doesn't love her anymore. It breaks your heart but now you know you can explain it to her."

"He's right, Sam" said Michelle "We've done nothing wrong but I can see that we've been so caught up in our own feelings that we gave little thought to what she may be thinking. She's not a little girl anymore. Go into her and comfort her – she needs her Dad; then I'll take her to buy ice cream."

Gibbs said "Let me do that. I'm pretty good with kids and it may be better coming from a stranger as to why you kept things from her. Michelle can come with me. He can obviously hear what's being said to him so he's likely to be distraught – you and Hetty need to be with him."

They nodded their agreement. Sam went in and picked up Kamie who clung to Callen sobbing. "It's alright, sweetheart. He does loves you. But he's not well so can't tell you. C'mon, Mommy and Agent Gibbs want to talk to you."

She released her grip and flung herself into Sam's arms, sobbing. He stood for a while rocking her gently to soothe her whilst looking down at his friend. "I'm sorry, G, I didn't mean Kamie to upset you." He turned and left the room as Hetty entered, "I'll be back soon, Hetty" She patted his arm as he passed.

Gibbs held his arms open and Sam kissed Kamran before passing her to him. She put up a bit of a struggle but exhausted she nestled into his strong embrace still sobbing. Gibbs and Michelle went to the sofas in the family room and sat down. Gibbs was rocking her gently while Michelle had her hand her leg for reassurance.

"Y'know, Kamran, you're a very brave girl. It isn't easy seeing someone you love in hospital. Your mommy and daddy told you ages ago that Uncle Callen had been hurt, didn't they?" He felt Kamran nod and heard a tiny 'yes' amongst the tears. "Well, he was very, very badly hurt. No one knew if he'd survive. Do you know what that means?"

Again, she nodded. This time she lifted her head and looked at Gibbs "That he might die?" she said in a quiet voice, tearing still flowing down her checks but she was no longer sobbing.

"That's right. Mommy and Daddy, and all of his friends, were very upset and worried because we all love him. Just like you do. When the doctors made him better and he didn't die, he was still very ill. He had broken bones and he also didn't look like himself because of his injuries. He had to be on this special machine to help him breathe. Do you know what I mean?" Gibbs continued.

"I think so. Like when I fall over, cut my knee and it bleeds and get a bruise? I'm not sure about the machine."

"That's right, good girl. Now he had cuts and bruises all over his face and body so he didn't look as handsome as he normally does. To help him breathe he had to have a tube in his mouth. They had to put tubes into his arm so that they could give him medicines to help him get better" said Gibbs.

Kamie's eyes widened "Yep, it's very scary. It's hard for a grown up to see someone they love like that. For a little person like you, it would be even harder as you don't fully understand what's going on. Now your mommy and daddy were trying to protect you. They didn't want you to get upset seeing your Uncle Callen like that. They didn't know that you thought he didn't want to see you; that you thought he doesn't love you anymore."

Kamie looked at her mom, who was crying. Michelle nodded to say that what Gibbs had said was true. "We thought we were doing what's best, darling. He was really badly hurt and didn't look the same. His wounds were very scary to look at. Uncle Callen wouldn't want you to see him like that and be upset or scared. That's why we've only just brought you to see him" said Michelle.

"Does he still love me?" asked Kamram, looking between Michelle and Gibbs.

"Of course he does – who couldn't love a gorgeous little girl like you - and he'll tell you himself when he wakes up" said Gibbs. Kamie gave Gibbs a big hug and then reached over to her mom, who took her from Gibbs and cradled her daughter. Over her head, Michelle mouthed "Thank you" to him. Gibbs smiled and hugged the pair of them.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N Thanks to all who have read and reviewed. I am encouraged by all your positive comments. I'm from England and for those who were wondering Chalk and Cheese is an English saying meaning that two people are not alike or have nothing in common. Also a fortnight is another word for 14 days or two weeks. It is derived from an Old English word meaning fourteen nights. While I don't believe Hetty is supposed to be English, she does say some very English words such as 'Bugger'. She has also mentioned King and Country when England had a King up until early 1952.

Chapter 9:

After Sam had taken Kamie out of the room and passed her over to Gibbs, he went back inside. He stood quietly in the doorway as Hetty, who had her back to him, was standing by the side of Callen's bed talking to him. She was gently caressing his head whilst she tenderly wiped away the tears.

"My sweet boy. You have this hard man 'don't mess with me' veneer. And that's just what it is – a veneer, an act. When it comes to work, yes, you can be determined, bloody minded and ruthless – but not with your team. In your personal life, you just want to have a family and be loved. And you do and you are – more so than you know. We all love you – well maybe not Granger, but he respects you and cares about you – even if you are a massive pain in his butt! And that's good, Granger needs to be kept on his toes."

Sensing a presence, Hetty looked up and saw Sam, smiling at her. He nodded for her to continue as he went to the other side of the bed and sat down taking Callen's other hand.

"You know that we're all very concerned about you. At least one of us, may be two, have been here by your side every single minute of the day and night, sitting with you, talking to you, just so you wouldn't be alone. So you would see someone you knew when you regained consciousness. When you were taken off life support but didn't wake up, we continued that vigil, doing whatever we could to get you to wake up. It wasn't just the team and me, Nell and Eric have been here as has Granger and Nate. Even Arkady has done his bit. Agent Gibbs and Abby Sciuto are here now and Michelle and Kamran have come too."

She paused as she looked at Callen's face, now showing no signs of the injuries he sustained. She then looked over at Sam and took a deep breath before continuing as she knew she was going to voice her feelings and Sam would hear them, though she already knew he had a good idea how she felt. She was also aware that Michelle, Kamran and Gibbs were still outside.

"Whatever conflict is keeping you from us, it can't be so bad that you can't discuss it with one of us. If it is about Charlie Connor, then I know more than the others what that means to you. You have come a long way, Mr Callen, in lowering your defences and learning to trust a select few. Let those friends, the members of your 'family' help you. Sam and I have had many a chat whilst watching over you and I've told him a few secrets that I've never divulged to anyone else. You all know that I'm a little unorthodox in my management style and that those under my charge, past and present, are not just assets to me. You are all names and faces who will stay with me always and I have great affection for you all. I try not to show favouritism but you and I have history, through your mother and through your early life. You are like the son I never had, G, and I love you very much. Please make a silly, old woman happy by waking up."

Sam, who had tears in his eyes, looked at Hetty and saw that she was emotional as well. "Hetty, that was very brave of you especially in front of me" he said tenderly.

"Pff! We've spoken about it before and although I've never openly admitted it, it was often intimated and you've got a very good idea of how I feel about him."

Turning back to face Callen, Hetty said "I'm so sorry that it's taken something terrible to happen to you for me to openly tell you how I feel. G, can you ever forgive me?"

Placing a kiss on his forehead and not expecting an answer, Hetty was about to leave when she felt pressure on her hand. She looked down and felt, and saw, Callen squeeze her hand again. She quickly looked at Sam who had also seen the movement, and they both looked at Callen, whose eyes were now open.

He was trying to speak but he was making no sound. Hetty bent closer, putting her ear to his mouth, hoping to hear what he was trying to say. When he kissed her on the cheek Hetty shot up in surprise and saw Callen was smiling. Sam, who had got some water, held the beaker with a straw to Callen's lips and he took a couple of sips before nodding his thanks to his friend.

He swallowed and tried again. His voice was very quiet and hoarse through lack of use but they heard him say "Hetty, you called me G!"

Laughing and crying she said "Indeed I did."

"Welcome back, G. We've missed you. Look whose here" said Sam as he pointed out through the window to Michelle, Kamie and Gibbs who were now all smiling and crying as well. Callen managed to raise a hand to wave at them.

Kamie broke away from her mom and ran into the room, jumped onto the bed and hugged Callen. The others followed her into the room. "I love you, Uncle Callen." Still holding Hetty's hand, he hugged her with his other arm. He whispered "I love you too banana hanna" using his nickname for her.

Sam lifted her down, "You can come again & see G; he's needs to rest"

"But Daddy, he's been asleep for months!"

The others laughed. Callen looked at his friends "Michelle, Jethro" he said hoarsely, acknowledging them.

Just then Dr Grant arrived as Sam had pressed the call button.

"Well this is a happy sight. I was beginning to doubt if I'd ever see it, Mr Callen"

"G, this is Dr Michael Grant, a friend of mine. He and his team have been looking after you since you were brought in. Michael, I can't thank you enough" Hetty said hugging him. Turning her attention back to Callen, she said "I'll tell the others and when you're feeling up to it, they'll come and visit." To the others she said, "Come on, let the Doctor do his job and leave G to rest. We can come back later."

As the others left the room, she turned to Sam "Sam, I'm afraid I rather hogged the moment - sorry. Why don't you stay for a bit after Dr Grant's given him the once over. I'm sure it will be OK and you'd both like that."

"Thanks Hetty but it's not a problem. I'm just glad he's awake. I will stay for a bit. Gibbs and Abby should spend some time with him too before they have to go back – they came a long way to see him."

"Yes I know and they should. I promised Jethro that I'd show him the offices. I can then find out how long he and Abby can stay. I've got to tell Director Vance as well" and planting a kiss on Callen's cheek, she said "I'm glad you're back with your family. I'll see you later."

Callen hugged her and whispered so that only she heard "Thanks for all you've done. I love you"


	10. Chapter 10

A/n: Apologies for the delay in updating this story. Christmas preparations seem to be getting in the way of this and my other stories. Hopefully in the New Year I will be able to concentrate on them all. Wishing everyone every good wish for the festive season, whatever your beliefs, and may 2017 be happy and peaceful.

Chapter 10:

Sam went outside and waited while Hetty went back to the office with Gibbs and Michelle took Kamran home, saying she'd see Sam later.

After a short examination, Dr Grant came out and spoke to Sam. "Everything's fine though I will probably order more tests just to be sure. The hard work starts now to get him back on his feet so he's strong enough to leave here. I might have to restrict visiting times but I'll let Hetty know once I see how well he's doing. By all means stay for a little while but now he's regained consciousness he will tire quickly despite being under for so long."

"Thanks Doctor" said Sam as he went in to Callen.

"Hey, bud, how're you feeling?" asked Sam.

"Strange. How long have I been here?" asked Callen.

"About 4 months. You were on life support for 4-6 weeks. You really had us worried, G, especially once your injuries healed enough for you to be taken off life support and you still didn't wake up. Do you remember what happened to you?"

"Yeah, mostly. It was pretty bad; I don't know how I managed it. I nearly gave up several times – especially when Charlie was killed. That really got to me."

"Why? I don't understand why you'd care about a racist, low life like that!"

Callen was quiet for a while, not looking at Sam. When he started speaking again, he still didn't look at Sam but gazed off into the distance, maybe the distant past. "It's complicated, Sam. I promise I'm not dodging the issue and I will tell you but not now. I'm tired and my throat hurts."

"OK but I'll hold you to it. And if you don't tell me, I'll set Nate on you" Sam promised.

Callen smiled his lop-sided grin and patted his friend's arm. "Yeah, you would. I promise in a couple of days when I feel stronger, I'll tell you everything."

Sam nodded his acceptance and sat quietly whilst his friend and partner closed his eyes and fell into a restful sleep.

Back at the Ops Centre, Jethro arrived with Hetty where they were greeted warmly by the rest of team. Abby came running to Gibbs and threw herself into his arms in a huge embrace. He hugged her back. "Gibbs, he's awake. I'm so glad. Can we see him before we go back? Please?"

"Of course, Abs. Hetty's going to show me around here and then she'll take us back to the hospital." Gibbs glanced at Hetty who nodded her agreement. Abby stopped hugging Gibbs and threw her arms around Hetty, though she had to bend down to do so. The team looked shocked and waited for a reaction from Hetty, who just hugged Abby and patted her back and laughed. "My dear, Miss Sciuto, you make an old woman very happy. Now, you'd best let me go so I can show Jethro around before I take you both back to see Mr Callen."

Abby reluctantly released her and stepped away, letting Hetty lead Gibbs round the Ops Centre. After the tour, Gibss sat opposite Hetty at her desk, whilst Abby continued to chat with Eric and Nell.

"You've certainly made the most of this place. You'd never know from outside what it hides, which I guess is the object – seeing you're Special Operations," said Gibbs.

"After the old base was compromised when you worked with us before we had to find somewhere else. I found this place. It works rather well, I think" said Hetty.

"Tim was especially impressed with the technology; didn't stop talking about it for weeks! Drove me to distraction!" laughed Gibbs. "He will be unbearable once he hears all about it again from Abby!"

They sat quietly for a while before Gibbs broke the silence. "Thanks for contacting me about G. I think you know what he means to me".

Hetty nodded before saying "No, thank you, Jethro. It was so good of you to come all this way. I'm pleased he woke up before you had to leave." She paused. "In fact I just so relieved that he's woken up. I really thought I'd – we'd – lost him this time. At times like this, when one of our agents is hurt or worse, I wonder whether I can continue. The worry and guilt that I feel every time I send them out, thinking whether they will all return safely, is getting too much."

"I know what you mean. We all pay the price sooner or later but someone has to do this job. I know your reputation but I also know you. You're well regarded professionally by those in NCIS and held in awe and sometimes terror by those in other agencies." Gibbs and Hetty both smiled at this as they were well aware of the fear that the name 'Henrietta Lange' brought to the other agencies. "But you are respected and loved by those who work with you. Your team is regarded as one of the best, if not the best, NCIS has and it's G and yourself who hold it together. I've known G for a long time and have worked with him on numerous occasions. We've saved each other's butts more times than we'd like to admit. Like you, he's like the son – or at least a younger brother - I never had. I'd do anything for him."

"Yes, I know some of your history. But seeing you together, I can see the bond you have, the easy way you connect with each other. Mr Callen doesn't have that with many people. He is lucky to have you. I can only hope that when the time comes, he will allow us to help him get back his strength and fitness so he can return to work as soon as he's able." Getting up, Hetty said "Let's get you back to the hospital so you can spend a little time with him before you have to leave. Let's find Miss Sciuto."

"Unfortunately we have to go back to DC now, but I will come back and be there for him later" promised Gibbs.

Taking Gibbs' hands in hers, Hetty said "Thank you. It will mean a lot to Mr Callen, I know."

After saying their goodbyes to the LA team, Abby and Gibbs were whisked back to the hospital by Hetty. Reaching the room, they saw Sam watching over a still sleeping Callen. As Sam got up to greet the others, Callen stirred. "Hey, sleepy head. Gibbs and Abby have just come back with Hetty. You up to seeing them again? I think they've got to get back to DC."

Callen nodded and Sam went out to them. Hugging each in turn, Sam said "He's just woken up. He's been asleep since you left. Soundly for the most part, a few twitches but no nightmares, thankfully. He wants to see you guys" Sam said to Gibbs and Abby. Thanking Sam they went in. Callen smiled at them both and Abby threw her arms round him, giving him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. Callen looked embarrassed as Gibbs gave a soft chuckle.

"She's been wanting to do that again ever since you saved her life last year" Gibbs said.

Abby shot him a cross look and Callen said "I think she already has earlier today or was it yesterday?" Seeing their surprised looks he said "Or did I dream it?"

"You remember that, Special Agent G Callen?" asked Abby. When he nodded she continued "Yes I did. You were still unconscious and I was very worried about you, we all were. I'm so glad you're OK" giving him another big hug. Seeing him wince, she said "Oh I've hurt you. I'm so sorry."

"It's OK Abby. My ribs are a bit tender that's all." Turning his attention to Gibbs, who took his hand and gave him a shoulder hug, Callen said "It's good to see you, Gibbs, how long are you here?"

"Not long enough I'm afraid. We've got to go back tonight. Hetty was worried that you weren't waking up and I think everyone had run out of ideas. She asked me if I'd send a video message but I came instead. Abs insisted on coming too."

"Well I'm really pleased to see you both but you didn't have to come."

"Don't be silly, G" said Abby. "Of course, we'd come. It's the least I can do since you saved my life. I owe you. And I wasn't gonna let Gibbs go on his own!"

"Abs, he's a big boy. He can look after himself" said Callen laughing.

"Now don't you be too sure about that G. You don't know the trouble he gets himself in!" As Gibbs rolled his eyes to the ceiling and G smirked at his discomfort, she continued "Perhaps you do, you're both cut from the same cloth! I shouldn't let either of you out of my sight!" The two men looked at each other and laughed but Callen's was cut short as he winced in pain.

Gibbs touched his arm, "You OK?" concern etched on his face.

"I'm fine" Callen said, taking a tentative breath. "It's my ribs. It hurts to laugh!"

They continued talking for a while until Gibbs noticed that Callen was tiring. He nudged Abby. "I think we'd better let you rest, G" said Abby. "I'll come back to LA to see you soon" she said as she bent to kiss him.

"I'd like that, Abs" he replied as he kissed her cheek. Abby left the room to let Gibbs say his goodbyes in private. Gibbs stood beside the bed looking down at his friend. Taking his hand he gave Callen a hug and said "Take it easy and get better. And do as you're told! I'll be back soon to help you recuperate."

"You don't have to, Jethro. I'll manage, Hetty and Sam as well as the rest of the team will see to that."

"I know but I want to. I know how stubborn you can be. I know, just like me. I'll do us both good – if we don't kill each other first!"

"I appreciate it, Jethro. Take care of Abby, she's a special lady. And take care of yourself." Jethro nodded and the two friends hugged again.

After waving them goodbye, as Gibbs and Abby left with Hetty, who had returned to take them to the airport, Callen fell asleep again.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

Callen woke to find Hetty sitting by his bed, watching him "It's good to see you sleeping. How are you feeling, Mr Callen?"

"Hello, Hetty," he said sleepily. "Not bad, considering. Everything hurts but it's better than the alternative,"

"Yes, indeed it is" she agreed. "It's good to have you back, G. I thought I'd lost you this time" she said patting his hand gently, her voice quaking slightly with emotion and her eyes glistening with tears that threatened to overflow.

"I hear it was touch and go, but you can't get rid of me that easily" he joked trying to lighten the mood. He loved the small woman, who had been his saviour and mentor since he became aware of her at the age of 15, but he wasn't comfortable seeing her so vulnerable. He thought of her as a warrior, though tiny in statue, a giant amongst her peers. Now she looked tired, old and a little fragile. He hoped it would pass but he knew the life they lived caught up with them all eventually.

Hetty smiled at the man she had come to think of as a son; the man who melted her heart every time he looked at her with that cheeky, crooked grin, his piercing blue eyes twinkling with mischief. The one she could cheerful murder sometimes because he was so stubborn that he wouldn't let anyone help him, though she had to admit he had begun to trust a select few. However he was now a shadow of that image but she could still see it behind the pain that he tried so hard to mask, to keep her from worrying.

As she shook her head, he looked at her with a quizzical expression "Don't think for a moment I don't know what you're doing, Special Agent Callen" she said in mock seriousness, reverting back to his formal title.

His expression changed to one of innocence, and she had to laugh and was quietly pleased he was still able to joke after all he'd suffered. "What am I going to do with you?" she said shaking her head in mock exasperation.

"What you always do, Hetty. Look after us. You protect and defend us, cajole and rip us new ones when necessary but above all, you're there for us and you make us strong."

She looked at him sideways trying to see if there was a hint of sarcasm but all she saw in his face and eyes was sincerity.

"Pfff!" she muttered embarrassed. "We're a good combination but you hold the team together, which is why you've got to get well so you can come back to work. To do that you must accept help" she insisted. Callen rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "Don't you dare pull that with me" she said. "I know you don't like to admit you need help but I mean it – you can't do this on your own."

Callen sighed "I know, Hetty. But a guy can pretend, can't he?" trying it on again.

Hetty shook her head at him and chuckled. "Well, I suppose he can. But just remember we're all here for you. Now get some rest, I'm sure Sam will be back later and the others will want to come in sometime as well." She placed her hand on his face, gently stroking it and bent to kiss him on the forehead. "Sleep tight. I'll come back to see you tomorrow."

"'Bye, Hetty – and thank you."

Later that night, Sam came in to find Callen already awake.

"Hey, G. You good?" asked Sam.

"Yeah. I've slept and the nurses have checked up on me. They're still giving me nourishment intravenously as I'm not up to solids yet."

Callen winced and Sam asked "You OK? Want a pain relief?"

Callen could only nod in response until the pain subsided. "It's here" Callen nodded towards one of the numerous intravenous drips still going into this veins. "I can self-medicate if it gets too bad but I'm trying not to use it. Y'know how it affects me."

Sam nodded in understanding. Callen didn't sleep very well normally but pain medication had a bad effect on him giving him vivid nightmares.

"How's Kamie" asked Callen "She knows I love her, right?"

"She's OK, G. Of course we told her you'd been hurt and was in hospital. We had no idea that because we hadn't taken her to see you that she thought it was her fault and that you didn't want to see her. It was heart-breaking to watch her with you. Gibbs was great. Who'd have thought a grumpy guy who doesn't say much, could get through to a child."

"No, he's great with kids. It's sad that his wife and daughter are both dead because of his job" said Callen sadly.

"I don't know what I'd do if my job put Kamie or Aiden in danger, or Michelle for that matter though she at least knows the risks being a federal agent herself."

The two friends were quiet for a moment, lost in their own thoughts. Callen broke the silence "When you were here earlier you asked about Charlie Connor and why I felt so strongly about his death. I'll try to explain."

Sam looked at this friend and partner, who remained silent gathering his thoughts and wondering where to start. He took a deep breath and looked at Sam, whose face was open, trusting and eager to understand.

"You know bits of my upbringing and career. But there're some things that only a few people know and only those who were actually involved in the incidents. Y'know I had 36 foster homes between 4 & 18 years old – the longest I stayed was 3 months. A few I was at for a couple of weeks, most were a matter of days before I ran away or was sent back to be found another home. At one home the husband beat me with a broom, until one day I took it away from him and hit him with it – I got moved on." He paused and looked at his friend. There was more to his upbringing that Callen was still not ready to admit, not even to Sam.

Sam offered Callen a drink and he gratefully took a couple of sips before continuing.

"When I was under cover in prison, I got close to Charlie. He had a crap upbringing –born in prison, to a mother who was a junkie and a drunk, so the other prisoners raised him. He didn't know anything else and got in with the wrong crowd. I was going to get him out and help him turn his life around. He tried to help me, to cut me down and stop the beatings but Dallas killed him so I didn't get the chance."

"But you've done OK. You've got morals and you're certainly not a racist. Sure, after your mother was murdered, you endured hardship of an unsettled and unstable life but you turned your life around. Your strength of character made you the man you are today."

"No, Sam, you're wrong. When I was 15, I ran away yet again but was caught and thrown into juvie. Worst two weeks of my life. I was beaten by the inmates and staff alike but gave as good as I got. One day I escaped, stole a car and lead the police a merry dance until I crashed into a lamp post. I tried to run but they caught me. This time I knew I was in big trouble, that I'd be tried for criminal damage and sent to jail. In that respect I'd be no different from Charlie. I would've mixed with the wrong crowd and gone down a completely different path."

"What happened?" asked Sam

"Fate, divine intervention or whatever you wanna call it. I was given a life line. I'd never met her but Hetty intervened, stopped the police taking me in and took me away from social services. Brought me up, gave me a chance of an education, mentored me. No, Hetty made me the man I am today."

"Perhaps you should tell her then but I have a feeling she already knows" countered Sam, looking at his friend, and wondering how they could be so close but he have very little knowledge of Callen's life before they become partners. Although Sam had a tough upbringing with a military father, he was raised by his parents in a strict but loving family environment. Sam couldn't begin to imagine what it felt like to be raised in care, with so many different families but not to know your family or your own name, which is why Callen was referred to a G by a select few.

"Perhaps I will. Sam. She deserves to hear it from me" admitted Callen.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Huge apologies for the length of time it's taken to update this story. I hope you think it is worth the wait. I'll try not to leave it so long for the next chapter. Thanks for your patience and your reviews.

Disclaimer: Unfortunately I own nothing of NCIS LA. It is owned by CBS, Shane Brennan, R Scott Gemmill and all the other marvellous writers.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Chapter 12

Seeing that Callen was tiring, Sam said "Get some rest, G. I'll go and update the team on your condition. I'll be back later to sit with you."

Callen nodded in acknowledgement and said "Thanks, I'm feeling a bit drained. Give them my best. I'd like to see them sometime. Whilst I'd like to see you, you don't have to come back. Stay home with Michelle and Kam."

Sam nodded and said "OK as long as you're sure, but I'll be back tomorrow. Now get some rest."

Callen nodded and shooed him out with his good hand. As Sam left the room, he turned and saw that Callen was already sleeping peacefully. He hoped he remained like that and that the nightmares that normally plagued him would stay away for once.

Sam made a quick call home. When Michelle picked up, he said "Hi babe, how's Kam?"

"She's OK now but exhausted. It was a lot for her to take in. She fiercely resisted but I finally got her to sleep. How're things with G?" asked Michelle.

"Good. He's tired too so I've left him sleeping. I'll be home shortly and I'll fill you in then. I've got to update Hetty and the guys in Ops first. Love you." Sam disconnected and dialled Hetty's number.

"Hetty, it's Sam" said Sam when Hetty picked up her cell.

"Mr Hanna, I trust everything is alright with Mr Callen?" she asked with a hint of worry sounding in her voice.

"Yeah, he's good. He's sleeping, peacefully I hope. He appears to be making slow progress. He's told me to spend time with Michelle and Kamran and not to go back later on. I'm a little reluctant to leave him alone so soon" said Sam.

"Mr Hanna, he's in good hands but if it makes you happier, I will go and sit with him for a while" offered Hetty.

"I don't want to spoil any plans you may have for tonight, but thanks. I feel a lot better that someone he knows is with him" answered Sam.

"Of course. Don't worry, Sam, I had no plans for this evening and I've been meaning to go and be with him" said Hetty. "Good night and no doubt I will see you tomorrow."

Hetty heard Sam chuckle as he answered "Yeah, I'll be there first thing in the morning. G'night, Hetty."

As she disconnected the call, Hetty smiled to herself. Callen may well be the team leader, the person who held the team together but Sam was definitely the 'mother hen', the one who always ensured everyone was alright. She was proud of her team, each of them having a vital role which solidified them as a whole. When one member was not present, they rest did not function as well as was the case at the moment with Callen being in hospital. Hetty hoped that now he had emerged from the coma, he would start to make progress and get back to work as soon as practicable. Hetty knew it would be a long and hard road for him but with the help and support of his friends, she was confident that he would succeed. If, of course, he allowed them to help. Hetty made a few preparations before making her way to the hospital.

Standing outside Callen's room, she gazed at his sleeping form. He appeared to be resting peacefully for which she was grateful. Over the years, Callen had confided the contents of some of his nightmares and she really did not know how he endured them. Entering she sat down in a chair beside him and settled down to read a book, waiting for him to wake.

Hetty had been there about an hour when she noticed Callen twitch. Putting her book down, she watched him closely. She could see rapid eye movement under his closed lids and he was mouthing something silently. As the nightmare deepened, his twitching increased and he started to writhe, tossing and turning frantically, getting caught up in the bed clothes.

Hetty stood up and reached for his hand. She held it in hers gently rubbing her thumb in circles on the top whilst her other hand stroked his hair. Soothingly Hetty said "Sshh, я здесь, сын мой. Все в порядке, это просто дурной сон."

Hetty continued to utter this until he finally relaxed. Satisfied he was sleeping peacefully once again, Hetty sat back down but found she could no longer concentrate on her book. Instead she sat and watched Callen closely for signs of the nightmare returning. Confident that it would not, Hetty allowed herself to doze.

When she awoke, she saw a pair of vivid blue eyes watching her and the owner of the eyes was smiling fondly.

"Hello, Hetty" Callen said.

"Mr Callen, oh dear, you caught me napping" said Hetty, appearing a bit flustered which made Callen smile more broadly and his eyes sparkled with mischief. Hetty's heart skipped a beat. She had so missed her boy's company and his ability to break through her resolve with just a smile. Composing herself Hetty looked at her senior agent and smiled back.

"I always thought you don't get enough rest, Hetty. It's good to see you relaxing" said Callen.

"Well, it's good to see you resting too albeit in a coma" said Hetty.

Callen's features darkened momentarily and Hetty quickly continued "Oh dear, I didn't mean to belittle what you've been through, I only meant "

Callen interrupted "It's OK, Hetty, it's not what you said. I just got a stab of pain, that's all."

"Are you alright? Do you need me to call the nurses or get pain medication for you?" asked Hetty, a little worried.

"No thanks. It's gone now" answered Callen. "Tell me, was I having a nightmare earlier? I've got a fragmented memory of it but then someone was soothing me, and telling me everything was alright."

"Yes, you were mumbling something and were thrashing around a fair bit. I took hold of your hand, rubbing my thumb in circles on the back of your hand, just like I did when you were a whole lot younger. You eventually settled back into a peaceful sleep" explained Hetty. "Was it one that you normally have?"

Callen smiled at the memory that Hetty had just described. When he first came to live with her, he had a lot a nightmare but Hetty was always there, patiently and gently easing him through them. Many of them had faded but there were still one or two that plagued his sleep.

"I think so but it developed into something else, which I can't quite remember" said Callen frowning slightly.

He looked at Hetty and smiled "Thank you for being here. I really appreciate it especially as you must be extremely busy with one person down."

"Pppff" said Hetty. "There is nowhere else I would be except with you as has Sam and the rest of the team. Granger stood the whole team down from active duty so they could be with you. Do you have any recollection of anything since you were rescued and when you woke up?"

Callen was quiet for a moment. "I remember virtually all that happened to me at the hands of Dallas and when Sam and the rescue team got me. The rest is a bit of a blur. There are times when I remember snippets of conversations or actions but they aren't clear. It's like I was viewing them as a third person, y'know? I know I dreamt Tuhon was here but that's impossible. Right?" he asked looking at Hetty.

She smiled. "No, actually Tuhon did come to the hospital to visit you."

Callen looked at her incredulously. "Tuhon was here? How? Why?" he stammered.

Hetty chuckled at the bewildered look on Callen's face. "My dear boy! Tuhon heard what happened to you and he came to see you, to see whether he could help you out of the coma." Hetty let out a sigh and continued. "Why do you find it so hard to believe, to accept that there are many, many people who care for you, who love you and were desperately concerned that you showed no sign of wanting to wake up from the coma?"

Callen looked a little uncomfortable and Hetty took his hand again. "I know you've had a rough childhood in the welfare system and were badly treated by those who were in a position of trust. I understand because of this you also find it hard to trust and let people get close. I honestly thought that with me and with Sam and his family and the rest of the team, you'd finally found a certain amount of peace and a place to call home with people you can call family."

"I have. I do trust more, well sometimes" said Callen "But Tuhon. He's got a price on his head. If he'd been caught …." Callen let his word tail off.

"I know but his concern for you as a friend outweighed the risks. Besides Tuhon knows how to look after himself" said Hetty smiling to herself as she thought about Tuhon and the times he and her team had met. "Anyway he brought you a gift."

Callen frowned and shook his head slightly in disbelief. "Tuhon's got a gift for me?"

"Yes. In fact he gave it to you when he was here. Put it in your hand and wrapped your fingers around it. When he tried to take it away to give to me for safe keeping, you wouldn't let it go. Just for a second but Tuhon felt the resistance."

Callen frowned again trying desperately to remember. "I don't remember" he said.

Hetty patted his hand in reassurance. "That's alright. We hoped it was a sign that you were waking up. Look, I've got it here" she said as she let go of his hand and reached for her purse. Taking out the tribal knife which was wrapped in a protective cloth, she handed it to Callen, who unwrapped it carefully. His eyes opened wide in surprise at what he'd uncovered.

"Well, we thought the medical staff wouldn't be too comfortable if we left it lying around" chuckled Hetty.

"No, I can see that" said Callen. "But there must be some mistake, I can't accept this. I don't merit it!"

Hetty's tone became a little sharp. "Don't you dare belittle yourself in such a way and don't ever disrespect Tuhon either."

Callen looked at her sheepishly and Hetty could see her words at hit home. When she continued her tone was much softer.

"G, Tuhon is not a man who gives out these willy nilly. He wouldn't have given it to you unless he felt you deserved it. It is a real honour" she said.

"I know, Hetty, I really do. And I never meant to disrespect Tuhon. It's just that …"

Callen stopped talking when he saw Hetty glare at him. "I know, I should learn to trust people and accept gifts graciously" he said.

Hetty smiled "Quite right, Mr Callen."

Callen continued to stare at the knife and marvelled at it. "I hope I can thank him personally sometime" said Callen.

"Oh I think that would be quite easy to arrange" said Hetty smiling.

They remained silent for a while but Callen broke the silence.

"Hetty, I have something to say to you. It's been long overdue" he said.

"Yes, my boy, what is it?" asked Hetty.

Callen paused searching for the right words. ""You know how hard it is for me to show my feelings, let alone talk about them." It was a statement, not a question and Callen cleared his throat and continued. "I want to thank you."

"Thank me? Whatever for?" said Hetty, a little bewildered herself.

"For keeping me safe, for trying to protect me all these years." His voice cracked with emotion and he cleared his throat before continuing. "I know I haven't always made it easy for you." He looked up at Hetty and smiled.

"Indeed you haven't" said Hetty, desperately trying to keep her emotions under control.

"I know I've argued with you and I've even disobeyed you. But I now know and understand that you had your reasons, even if I disagreed with them. Thank you for taking in an unruly and very scared 15 year old boy and putting him on the right track. Thank you for persevering with him and encouraging him to take a certain path. You've made me the man I am today."

Hetty could no longer hide or control her feelings and she felt tears running down her cheeks.

"I promised your mother and I failed to save her but I swore I'd do all in my power to protect her children. Unfortunately I was too late for your sister but I did all I could to keep you safe. I'd move heaven and earth for you, you know that don't you?" she asked.

Callen nodded as a single tear trickled down his face as well and he wiped it away with the back of his hand.

Hetty got out a handkerchief, dabbed at her eyes and blew her nose.

"Whilst I appreciate the thanks, why now? Why choose now to tell me?" she asked.

"It was the undercover mission. I got to know some of Charlie Connor's background and, although not the same as mine, there were enough similarities for me to associate with them. He was basically a good kid, who had been dealt a crap hand and got mixed up with the wrong crowd. I'd been working on him and was going to try and help him turn his life around. Dallas took that chance away by killing him in front of me. I'll never forget the look on his face as he was dying." Callen's voice choked and he paused before continuing.

"It was utter disbelief that someone he loved and trusted, Dallas, could do what he did. He died and I was unable to prevent it. That hit me hard and I kept thinking 'that could have been me'. That would have been me if you hadn't intervened with the police all those years ago and taken me under your wing. Hetty, you saved my life for which I am very grateful. I should've told you before."

"You are most welcome, Mr Callen. I'll admit you were a handful and much more of a challenge than I anticipated but it was worth it. I would do it again in a heartbeat if it means having you in my life" said Hetty as she rose from her seat and held out her arms to hug her boy.

 _A/N: Sshh, я здесь, сын мой._ _Все в порядке, это просто дурной сон translates as Ssh, I'm here, my son. It's alright, it's just a bad dream (as from Google translate_ _)_


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Thanks for all your comments about this story. I appreciate them

Disclaimer: Unfortunately I don't own NCIS LA. They are the property of CBS, Shane Brennan, R Scott Gemmill and all the other brilliant writers. Thanks for letting the out to play in our stories

Chapter 13

Callen was not known for showing or sharing his feelings, not even to those he cared for most. The fact that he had disclosed some of his inner most feelings to Hetty had left him drained. Hetty could see that he was struggling to keep his eyes open. She reached out and took his hand in hers, squeezing it gently. Callen turned his head to look at her.

"You need your rest so please don't stay awake on my account, Mr Callen" said Hetty. She was a little surprised when he did not put up a fight but nodded and closed his eyes, slipping into a peaceful sleep. Hetty waited a few minutes to ensure that Callen was in fact asleep and thankful that the nightmares appeared to be at bay.

Gently removing her hand, Hetty arose and left the room, glancing back at Callen to check that her movement had not disturbed him. Satisfied that he was still asleep, Hetty took her cell from her pocket, punched in a number and waited for them to answer.

"Gibbs" said the voice as they responded.

"Hello, Jethro. I trust you had a good trip home?" she asked.

"It was uneventful, which I like. Slept all the way!" he answered. "Is Callen OK?"

"Yes. I want to thank you and Miss Scuito again for coming out to Los Angeles to see him. I also want to let you know that he's continuing to improve. I don't know when he'll be discharged but I'm hoping that it will be soon. As you know well, Mr Callen and hospitals don't mix at all well. I'm sure he'll get better more quickly if he's in his own home" said Hetty. She heard Jethro chuckle.

"I know. Generally the only way to keep him in a hospital bed is to sedate him or put him in restraints. And even then I've no doubt he'll find a way to get out" said Gibbs.

"Seriously, do you have a plan for when he's discharged? I'm due some leave and will come back and help him recuperate."

"Thank you, Jethro, that would be most welome and I'm sure Mr Callen would like it as well. No doubt he'll say it's not necessary and put up a fight though" she said.

"Oh I'm sure of it" said Gibbs. "Between us I think we can convince him that it would be for the best."

"I like your thinking, Jethro" said Hetty in appreciation. "I would envisage that Mr Callen will come home with me immediately upon his discharge for as long as he's willing to stay. I'll ensure that there is adequate medical assistance available to help with his physical therapy and his rehabilitation. This should give you ample time to make the necessary arrangements to come out to LA. Do you know how long you'd be able to stay?"

"That sounds like a plan. I'll run it past Leon but I'm looking at a month or six weeks" said Gibbs.

"Wonderful. I'm sure Mr Callen will enjoy having you around. I know how close you two are and that you rarely get the chance to visit one another" concluded Hetty.

"If we don't kill each other first!" laughed Gibbs. "We're quite alike. Neither wanting to share feelings, talk about stuff that's bothering us and asking for or accepting help. I'm sure we'll manage though" said Gibbs.

"Indeed" said Hetty. "I and the rest of the team will be around to help if needed. However you may find that you both find it therapeutic!"

"Perhaps" concluded Gibbs. "Please keep me posted and when you're ready for me to come out, just ring. In the meantime, thank you for being there for him. It means a lot to me knowing he has someone to look out for him. Say 'hi' to him for me" said Gibbs.

"I will. And thank you too for all you've done so far. I'll be in touch" said Hetty as she disconnected the call.

Hetty went back into the room and as Callen was still asleep she sat down and picked up her book to continue reading whilst glancing at her boy to check for signs that the nightmares were returning. Luckily they did not and Hetty allowed herself the luxury of dozing.

When Hetty woke in the morning she found that a blanket had been laid over her and saw Sam sitting in a chair on the other side of the bed. She also noticed that Callen was awake and the two men, who had been talking quietly, were both looking at her, smiling.

"Good morning, gentlemen. Who do I have to thank for the blanket?" she asked.

"'Morning, Hetty, that was me" answered Callen. "I woke in the middle of the night and saw you asleep. I asked a nurse for it."

"Thank you, Mr Callen, that was most thoughtful of you" she said.

Callen nodded.

"How are the family, Mr Hanna? I hope Kamran is none the worse for her visit?" asked Hetty of her senior agent.

"She's good, Hetty. Thanks. Both Michelle and I have spoken to her and I think she understands" answered Sam.

"Good. Well, then, I will leave you two alone to continue your chat. Mr Callen, I'll come back later on, if that's alright with you."

"Of course it is, Hetty. I'd love to see you, but you must be busy. Don't feel you have to babysit me. I'm a big boy, y'know. I can look after myself" Callen said.

"Well that's debateable but yes, we are busy. Unfortunately crime doesn't stop just because my team leader is laid up in hospital. However I can run the office from here just as well" countered Hetty. She smiled to herself as she saw Sam try to hide a smile and Callen roll his eyes. Hopefully that was a good sign that he was on the mend.

"Also I know your tricks only too well, Mr Callen. I know you hate hospitals and will do anything to get out of being here. However you've been seriously injured and I do not want you putting your recovery in jeopardy by pulling any of your antics!"

Callen had a look of innocence on his face and Hetty softened her tone, smiling affectionately.

"I sympathise, I really do. I want nothing more than to have you back at work. We all miss you but you know the drill. You must recover fully which will take time. You must not take any shortcuts and you _will_ do everything the doctors ask of you. If you behave yourself whilst in hospital, I will do all in my power to have you discharged early" continued Hetty.

Callen looked hopefully at Sam, who shrugged, and Callen then turned his attention back to Hetty.

"You would?" he asked, not quite convinced it was a genuine offer. "What do I have to do exactly?" he continued suspiciously.

"What I just told you, Mr Callen." Hetty sighed heavily, thinking it was like dealing with truculent child rather than a grown man. She said exasperatingly "Don't you listen? Just behave yourself. By that I mean, do _not_ try to escape! Do as you're told, do your exercises but don't over exert yourself. I'll discuss my plan with your doctor and if we feel that you are complying then, just maybe, I'll get you home."

Hetty could see Callen weighing up the options and knew he was wondering how he could get her to fulfil her promise, without actually doing as she asked. Callen glanced at Sam.

"Don't bring me into this, G! I'll help you all I can, you know that, but I won't go against Hetty. I'm not that brave" said Sam.

Hetty threw Sam one of her stares and he shrugged apologetically in response.

Finally Callen said "OK, Hetty, you win! I'll do as you ask but please get me out of here as soon as you can."

Hetty nodded. "Make sure you do, Mr Callen." With that Hetty turned and left the two agents together.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Thanks for all who have R your comments are important to me

Disclaimer: I own nothing. NCIS LA is owned by CBS, Shane Brennan, R Scott Gemmill. Thanks for letting play with them.

Chapter 14:

Callen looked at Hetty's retreating back, sighed and turned to look at Sam.

"What do you think she's got in mind?" Callen asked his partner.

"Oh I don't know" said Sam. "But you know it'll be nothing that you'll want to do though" chuckled Sam, and was pleased to see Callen's mouth tweak into a half smile.

"Seriously, G, y'know you're gonna have to do as she asks" Sam continued, with no humour in his expression. "You've been seriously injured and it'll take time and a lot of hard work to get you back to any kind of fitness, let alone back on active duty."

Sam looked at Callen whose expression showed signs of depression and hopelessness. Sam felt sympathy for his friend. Sam knew only too well what is was like to be injured in the line of duty and how difficult it was to get back to work fitness and neither of them were getting any younger. He also knew what demons drove Callen, which made him one of, if not the best undercover agent NCIS had. Trying to lighten Callen's mood, Sam continued.

"G, y'know you're Hetty's favourite so I'm sure she's only concerned with your recovery and is gonna try and make it as quick as possible. Besides I'll be around to have your back."

"Thanks, Sam" said Callen, with a little more humour in his eyes. "I appreciate that but y'know how I hate to be molly coddled. I can do this myself. I don't need anybody's help."

"Yeah, well, that's debateable. We've been over this before so I'm not gonna go there again with you. I know the great Special Agent G Callen doesn't need or want anybody's help! He'd rather suffer and be a martyr than to ask for help" said Sam a little more harshly than he'd meant to.

Callen was insufferably stubborn and independent and hated to rely on other people, which made him a massive pain in the butt at times like this. Noticing the slight look of hurt on Callen's face at his outburst, Sam softened his tone.

"I'm sorry, man. I know how hard it is for you to accept help, let alone ask for it. I know you've been hurt before and recovered mostly on your own but for once, can you please believe that there are people who care for you and are only too pleased to help you in whatever way they can? Whichever way is best for you!"

"I know, and I _do_ appreciate it, really I do. It's just that Hetty can be so overwhelming" said Callen.

"I understand, G, however much you think it's manipulation, Hetty is one of those people! She cares deeply for you. You didn't see how vulnerable and broken she looked, sitting by your bedside night after night willing you to wake up. Several times over the months, I had to force her to go home and get some proper rest. Reluctantly she went but always returned within a few hours. She hardly left your side, G."

Callen looked a little shame faced but with a twinkle in his eye, he answered "I bet she had to threaten you as well!"

"Yes, she did. As I said, there are a lot of people who care what happens to you, G, so you may as well get used to it!" said Sam, with a slight chuckle as he saw Callen's resolve weaken.

"OK, you win! I'll do as she wants and I promise I'll accept help. Anything to get out of here and to get the pair of you off my back" said Callen with a smirk.

Sam rolled his eyes and shook his head. He was sure Callen would be true to his word and make every effort to accept help in order to get fit. However, it would be a difficult time for all concerned and Sam was sure there would be tantrums and arguments but they would succeed. If they did not end up killing Callen first!

The partners continued talking and joking until Callen tired and drifted off into a peaceful sleep. The routine continued for the next day or two until Hetty and Dr Rhodes entered Callen's room one morning.

"Good morning, Mr Callen" said Hetty. "How are you today?"

"I'm good, Hetty" replied Callen. Looking between Hetty and Dr Grant, Callen asked "Err, it's there a problem?"

"Not at all" replied Dr Grant. "In fact, I have some good news for you, Callen. You're going to be discharged tomorrow."

"Really?" asked Callen suspiciously. He was extremely happy but wary, remembering Hetty's ultimatum.

"Really" answered Dr Grant "but I'll let Hetty explain. I'll leave you to it but I'll be back later on."

"Thanks Michael" said Hetty and Callen in unison.

They smiled at each other, each weighing up the other. Callen pondered exactly what Hetty had in store for him and Hetty was wondering how much resistance he would bring to bear.

"OK, Hetty" said Callen, breaking the silence. "What do you propose?"

"You will come with me and recuperate at Dovecote. Your old room is ready for you" said Hetty.

Callen nodded in agreement as he continued to scrutinise closely his boss and mentor. _So far, so good. This doesn't seem so bad_ , he thought. _I wonder what's the catch?_

Hetty thought to herself _He took that rather well. May be this will be easier than I thought._ She continued. "There will be a medical team in residence to help you with your medication and rehabilitation exercises."

Hetty saw Callen's features darken but it was fleeting and they reverted back to a neutral expression almost instantly. _Oh well, perhaps he's going to prove troublesome after all!_

"It will only be for a short time" Hetty continued "if you can show that you can be trusted to take your meds and do your exercises and show improvement in your status, then they will no longer need to reside in the house but will come on a daily basis."

"Hetty, I'm not a child!" said Callen, exasperated.

"Indeed, you're not, Mr Callen. If you would stop acting like one though, this would not be necessary" she chided gently.

"OK, I agree" said Callen sullenly.

Hetty nodded before continuing. "When you've improved sufficiently, you will be allowed to go home." Callen smiled at that comment. Hetty added "Where Jethro Gibbs will be to help you further."

Hetty almost burst out laughing as Callen's jaw dropped and he stuttered "Gibbs? Staying with me? I'll be good to see him, I'll admit, but I don't need his help!"

"That's as may be, Mr Callen. It's going to happen" said Hetty.

"No, no it's not. Gibbs can't spend time playing nurse maid to me!" said Callen, his voice rising slightly.

"Yes, he can and he will. Before you say any more, he's already offered and is just waiting for you to be well enough to be at home without medical intervention. If you don't comply, you don't leave hospital any time soon!" Hetty hated being so tough on her boy but she knew he'd benefit from the plans she'd put in place. "And there will procedures in place to make sure you cannot leave on your own accord!"

"Hetty, that's below the belt and you know it!" he said.

"Indeed, it was, Mr Callen. I'm not sorry either. I'll do everything in my power if it helps you recover more quickly." Hetty waited patiently as she watched her boy weigh the situation in his mind, desperately looking for a way out. She felt a little sorry for him when she saw his head drop in defeat and he muttered something.

"What was that, Mr Callen?" she asked, a slight smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

He gazed up at her, his blue eyes looking at her sadly. "You win, Hetty. I'll do as you ask and I'll even behave myself."

"Thank you, Mr Callen. I knew you'd see sense and make the right decision eventually" as she smiled at him warmly.

The next day Dr Grant came to give Callen his final assessment before arranging the discharge papers.

"Everything is looking good, Callen. Hetty and I have arranged our own medical team to be in attendance, but I'll be on hand as well. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you feel the need, you've got my number" Dr Grant said. "I'll be back to say goodbye when you're ready to leave."

"Thanks, Michael" said Callen.

As Dr Grant left, Callen looked around his room and saw a pile of clothes that Hetty had thoughtfully brought in for him. He eyed them, grateful for Hetty's insight, for they were loose fitting jogging pants and a sweat top as well as boxer shorts, socks and a pair of slip on casual shoes. Callen knew that he had lost muscle tone as well as a lot of weight since he had been admitted and his normal wardrobe of jeans and a shirt would have been too big for him, without new ones being purchased, not to mention far too difficult for him to manage in his weakened state.

All of Callen's injuries had healed well but his left arm was still plaster because the open wound had to heal first before the bone itself could be properly set. There had been complications, Callen had been told, with an infection which further delayed the plaster cast application.

With a struggle Callen managed to put on the boxer shorts and the jogging pants. He was surprised how much energy it took and he was sitting on the edge of the best catching his breath when Sam walked in.

"Hey, G. I hear you're being discharged today" Sam said. He was pleased for his partner as he knew how deeply distressing Callen found it being confined to a hospital bed.

"Yeah, but I'm just exchanging one prison for another. I have to go and stay with Hetty with a resident medical team!" said Callen.

Trying not to laugh at his partner's expression, Sam said "Really? Well, staying with Hetty must be better than being in here."

"Mmm" muttered. "Don't know about that, if I don't 'behave' she'll send me back to hospital!"

Sam could no longer contain his mirth. He understood how Callen felt, and would be as p***ed as well if the tables were turned, but his partner was acting like a truculent teenager rather than a grown man,

"What?" responded Callen indignantly to Sam's chuckles.

"Man up, G! Learn to take your medicine!" answered Sam, in between a fit of giggles. Sam was pleased to see Callen's features softened and slowly break into his characteristic smirk.

"OK, but stop with the clichés!" said Callen, his mood lightening somewhat. "Make yourself useful. Can you help me out of this robe please? This cast is making it difficult to dress. I might need help with this sweat shirt too?

Still chuckling to himself, Sam did as he was bid and soon Callen was fully dressed waiting and eager to leave the hospital.

Hetty arrived with Dr Grant. "Mr Callen, I see that you are ready and waiting" she said.

"Yes, I am, Hetty. I can't wait to get out of here. No offence, Michael" answered Callen, smiling.

"None taken, G" responded Dr Grant. "Sign these and you can get going" handing Callen the discharge papers. Callen handed them back duly signed.

A porter appeared outside the room with a wheelchair. Looking at it in horror, Callen said "I don't need that. I'm quite capable of walking out of here!"

"Sorry, G" said Dr Grant "It's hospital policy."

Resigning himself to being wheeled through the hospital, Callen rose from the bed to get into the chair but stumbled as his legs gave way under him. Sam's strong arms caught him before he could fell and hurt himself and continued to hold him.

An unspoken message passed between the two men and Sam nodded in acknowledgement.

"Emm, I guess I do need this after all" said Callen.

After another unspoken dialogue Callen was ready to move again and Sam supported him until he was safely in the chair.

Dr Grant dismissed the porter saying that Callen's family would push the chair to the hospital's main door. Dr Grant then handed Callen a pair of crutches.

"You will need these to help you get around until you are stronger. Knowing your resolve, it won't take long" said Dr Grant.

"Thanks, Michael, for everything" said Callen, as he shook hands with Dr Grant.

Sam nodded his thanks as well as he began pushing Callen towards the elevator. Hetty hang back to speak to her godson.

"Thank you so much, Michael, for all you've done. I hope you will come over for dinner in a day or two once he's settled" said Hetty.

"You're welcome. I'd be delighted to come to dinner. Just let me know when."

Michael glanced over at Sam and Callen who were joking with one another, whilst waiting by the elevator for Hetty to join them. He smiled.

"He's a good man and he's lucky to have you to watch over him. It won't be plain sailing and he's going to be as frustrated as hell at times. He'll be angry and he's likely to lash at those around him. The medical team I've put together are good. Are you sure you want to do this, Hetty? I know he means a lot to you but I don't want you to get hurt" said Dr Grant.

"Oh Michael, thank you for your concern but I've handled and survived a lot worse than anything Mr Callen can dish out! We'll be fine I assure you" said Hetty as she went on tiptop to kiss her godson goodbye.

Turning way she went to join Sam and Callen "Gentlemen, let's get this show on the road!" she said as they entered the elevator and the doors closed and hid them from view.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Thanks for all who are following this story and have marked it as a favourite. It is most appreciated.

Disclaimer: Unfortunately I do not own NCIS LA or its characters. They are the property of CBS, Shane Brennan and R Scott Gemmill. My thanks for creating them and allowing us to play with them.

Chapter 15

Outside the hospital at the pick-up area, Hetty waited with Callen whilst Sam went to get their ride. Shortly he appeared with a SUV from the car pool. Sam got out and took Callen's bag from Hetty and dropped it onto the rear seat.

"What, no Challenger?" quipped Callen, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Sam gave his partner a withering look and rolled his eyes but otherwise remained silent.

"Indeed not, Mr Callen" said Hetty. "I thought a SUV would be easier for you to navigate in and out of rather than Mr Hanna's usual car. He agreed with me."

"Of course he would" muttered Callen under his breath.

"What was that, Mr Callen?" asked Hetty, amusement twinkling in her eyes.

"Nothing, Hetty. It's a good idea" countered Callen quickly. Sam grinned.

"I thought so too, Mr Callen" said Hetty, secretly pleased that her boy appeared to be more himself after his ordeal and enforced stay in the hospital.

Hetty steadied the wheelchair whilst Callen struggled to stand. _This is much harder than I thought. I hope I've made the right choice in leaving hospital_ he thought.

Sam stepped forward and held out his arm for Callen to grab and slowly and tentatively he made his way to the SUV and got in the rear. Hetty had already claimed 'shotgun' and climbed in the passenger side. After taking the wheelchair and leaving it just inside the main door, where a passing porter took it, Sam came out and climbed into the driver's seat.

"You ready, G?" asked Sam.

"Yeah, I'm good" Callen answered and Sam drove away.

During the drive to Dovecote, which was located in Hollywood, Hetty and Sam chatted amicably and Callen chipped in every now and then. When it grew quiet from the back, Hetty turned her head and saw that Callen had fallen asleep.

"He's dozing" Hetty said to Sam, in a hushed voice, careful not to wake Callen.

"He's weaker than he wants to admit" said Sam. "Just getting up from the wheelchair and getting in the car took a lot out of him. He's gonna find it tough."

"Indeed, he is and no doubt he'll make our lives a misery because of his frustration. It'll be unintentional of course but it'll be hard for us all for a short time" said Hetty. "However that's what family and friends are for, to help our loved ones through the bad times" she continued.

Sam nodded in agreement. "Let's hope he sees it that way and lets us help" he said.

Sam pulled up in front of Dovecote, one of Hetty's homes. He smiled. Hetty never failed to surprise him. Waiting for them on the top step was a wheelchair and Hetty had arranged for a temporary ramp to be installed so that Callen would not have to negotiate several steps up to the front door. There was no sign of the medical team, for which Sam was grateful, although he was sure they would be close at hand in case of an emergency. Callen did not need them in his face right now. He just needed to get inside and settled and to relax. The all important rehabilitation work would start in earnest soon.

Hetty had gotten out of the car and went round and opened Callen's door.

"We're home, Mr Callen" she said quietly not wishing to startle him as she knew how drastically he could react when awoken from sleep. Callen opened his eyes and smiled at her.

"So soon?" he said in surprise.

"You've been asleep. We left the hospital a while ago" she explained. "I'll get out of the way and go and put the kettle on. Sam will help you if you need it."

Turning to Sam, she said "Take Mr Callen to the sitting room, the first room on your left off the hall. He can relax there and we can have our tea."

Sam nodded as he went to collect the wheelchair and bring it down to the car. Surprisingly Callen did not complain at having to use it and he was amenable in letting Sam help him from the SUV into it. Grabbing Callen's bag from the back seat, he plonked it on Callen's lap and Callen grinned at him.

"Thanks, Sam."

"No probs, G. I'll get the crutches later. You may need them later for getting around the house. You good?" he asked and when Callen nodded he said "OK then, let's get you inside."

Sam had been to Dovecote a couple of times but he was still amazed by its grandeur. However Hetty still managed to give it a homely, comforting feel. Pushing Callen into the sitting room, he saw Hetty had already got a tray with cups and saucers and a teapot ready on the coffee table.

Getting Callen out of the wheelchair and onto the couch was easy and once assured that he was comfortable, Sam took a seat in an arm chair next to him.

Sam was not a tea person per se but had grown to appreciate some of the blends that Hetty had shared with them. Callen, although a coffee drinker as well, seemed to like the healing and soothing properties of the tea that Hetty had chosen and appeared totally relaxed in her home. Sam knew that Hetty and Callen had a special relationship and had seen glimpses of it in the past but this was a rare opportunity to witness it at first hand. Sam was secretly pleased that Callen had agreed to stay with Hetty and hoped that it would be beneficial for his recovery.

"I like this tea, Hetty" said Callen. "I don't believe I've had it before."

"No, I don't think you have. It's a particular favourite of mine but I choose it for its healing properties. I'm pleased you like it" answered Hetty. "Do you want another cup?"

"Yes, please" said Callen.

Looking at Sam, Hetty asked "Sam, do you want another cup as well?"

"That would be nice, thanks Hetty" answered Sam.

"All righty" said Hetty smiling. She was delighted that her two senior agents were enjoying her brew. "I'll just go and top up the pot. I won't be long. You boys alright to be left alone?" she asked her eyes twinkling with mischief.

"We're good" said Callen and Sam in unison, smiling at the humour of their diminutive boss.

When Hetty had left the room, Sam looked at Callen and said "You good, G? Are you comfortable there? Do you want a cushion behind you?"

"Sam, stop fussing!" answered Callen a little more sharply than he had intended.

A hurt look fleetingly passed over Sam's features as he stammered an apology and Callen was immediately sorry for his reaction to Sam's obvious concerns.

Softening his tone and smiling at his friend, he said "Sorry, Sam, I didn't mean to snap. I'm good here and quite comfortable, thanks. I'm just pleased to be out of hospital. Just for a while I want to forget my injuries and imagine that nothing happened and that I'm here at Hetty's relaxing, enjoying the company of two special people" said Callen in a rare admission of his feelings.

"I can understand that, G" said Sam. "I'm glad you're on the mend but y'know I worry about you. You're my best friend, my brother" said Sam, trying to hide his emotion.

"Hey, big guy, don't you get all emotional and sentimental on me" quipped Callen, grinning. "It spoils your image!"

Hetty was about to enter the sitting room with the teapot when the exchange between Callen and Sam started so she waited outside, anxious not to cause either of them embarrassment.

Pain tugged at her heart when she heard Callen's words. In his life he had suffered greatly both emotionally and physically but it was those experiences which made him an exceptional agent. In their line of work it was inevitable that one would sustain serious injuries at some stage, but her boy seemed to be a magnet for danger. Hetty was pleased that Sam cared so much for Callen and was touched that Callen called Sam and herself 'special'.

Humming to herself to announce her return, Hetty entered the room with the teapot and began refining each cup. Taking her seat and cradling the cup in her hand, she asked "Are either of you hungry? I can prepare something if you want."

"I'm not hungry, Hetty. Perhaps later" answered Callen.

Hetty knew that Callen had not eaten much after he was taken off intravenous nourishment after he had come out of the coma but she decided not to make an issue of the fact. She was just pleased her boy was getting better and that he was here at home with her.

"It's not a problem, Mr Callen. Just let me know whenever you're ready and I'll make whatever you want" replied Hetty. "Sam? What about you? Do you want anything?"

"No thanks, Hetty. Another time perhaps" Sam said. "I guess I should be going. Michelle's expecting me home. G, do you need anything before I go? I could help you to your room" offered Sam.

"No, I'm good. I'm fine here for the time being. Thanks for all you've done. Give Michelle and Kam a hug from me" said Callen.

"Sure thing. I'll drop by tomorrow and see you but just call if you need anything" said Sam.

Hetty rose and walked Sam to the door. "Thank you, Mr Hanna, you've been a great help. It's good that Mr Callen has a friend like you. Please give my regards to your family. I'll see you tomorrow."

Hetty watched Sam get into the SUV and drive away before closing the door and returning to Callen in the sitting room.

"Have you had sufficient tea? If so, I'll clear everything away" she asked.

"Yes, thanks. I'd help you but " and his voice trailed away.

"Pff. Don't worry Mr Callen. You just stay there and relax. I'll be back shortly" she said as she put everything on the tray and carried them out into the kitchen.

Returning shortly she sat back down and they chatted amicably until Hetty noticed that Callen's attention was wavering and he was fighting to keep his eyes open.

"Are you feeling alright?" she asked, a little worried.

"I'm fine. Just a little tired. I think I'll take a nap" he answered, yawning.

"Do you want to go to your room?" she asked

"No, can I say here and lay on the couch?" he asked. "I'll think about going to my room tonight."

"Of course you can stay down here. It's your home, Mr Callen. It always will be so you can do whatever you like" she said.

Hetty and Callen held each other's gaze and an unspoken message was communicated between them. Callen smiled warmly at Hetty and gave her a nod in acknowledgement to her words. Callen kicked off his shoes, laid down, fidgeting until he was comfortable with the cast on his left arm lying across his chest and was asleep in minutes.

Hetty took a throw from the back of another couch and gently laid it over Callen, just as she had done numerous times in the past both here and at work. Careful not to disturb him, she whispered "Sleep tight, son. May your dreams be pleasant ones."

Her heart swelled with love as she gazed at the man whom she had taken in as a fifteen year old all those years ago and whom she had vowed to protect. She knew Callen and she would have some difficult times ahead of them as would the team as well as the medical staff she had engaged to assist in his rehabilition. Hetty had to ensure that Callen kept his promise to take his meds and undertake his exercises to aid his recovery.

Hetty sighed and slowly shook her head. Problems for another day she hoped. Hetty took her book and settled down in her favourite chair where she could watch over her boy who, for the time being, was still sleeping peacefully.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Thanks to all who are following this story and have R&R. It is much appreciated

Disclaimer: NCIS LA is owned by CBS, Shane Brennan and R Scott Gemmill. Thanks for creating the wonderful characters and allowing us to have fun with them.

Chapter 16:

Hetty sat reading her book for a while and then decided to do some paperwork as Callen was still slumbering peacefully. Getting her laptop she went and sat at the table where she could still see Callen. Having worked for an hour or so, Hetty got up and went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Thinking Callen should be hungry when he awoke she decided to prepare one of his favourite meals. She was just about to put the meal in the oven, when she heard a yell and a thud coming from the sitting room.

Rushing in with her derringer in hand, she saw Callen, clearly disorientated, on the floor struggling to get up. Cautiously she approached him so as not to alarm him, well aware of what he was capable of, even in his weakened state.

"Mr Callen, are you alright?" she said calmly, putting her derringer in her pocket. "What happened?"

Callen looked up at her, realisation of where he was and why filtered through his consciousness. Managing to get himself into a sitting position, he took a deep breath.

"I guess I had a bad dream and fell off the couch" he told her.

Coming over to his side, Hetty reached out to him. "Are you hurt?" she asked, obviously concerned.

"No, I don't think so. Just a little shaken, that's all." His mouth twitched into a slight smile as he said sheepishly "A bit of a shock to the system, getting woken like that!" he said.

Hetty smiled back. "I would imagine it is" she said. "Come on; let's get you back on the couch."

Hetty's small stature belied her physical strength and taking Callen's good arm she supported him as he raised himself back onto the couch.

"Comfortable?" she asked. He nodded. "I'm just about to put our meal in the oven. It'll be ready in about 45 minutes. Do you want anything now?"

"More tea would be nice" he answered.

"Certainly; the same blend as before?" she asked. Again he nodded and Hetty went to the kitchen to get it.

Callen sat quietly with thoughts of his nightmare running through his brain. He could not seem to forget the vivid images which had caused him to wake so abruptly.

Hetty came back carrying a tray with a teapot and cups and saucers. She placed it on the table in front of Callen.

"It needs to brew a little longer" she advised. Looking at Callen, who was clearly still shaken she asked "What's bothering you, Mr Callen?"

Not one to express his emotions, he tried to bury the memories of the nightmare but they kept returning. Hetty's question brought him out of his reverie and he found himself answering her truthfully, all the time looking at his hands clenched in his lap, not making eye contact with her.

"It was the dream, a nightmare really" he said. "I was seeing the killing of Charlie Connor over and over again. It was like it was on automatic replay and each time it played out, his final gaze got more accusing. Like it was my fault and he was blaming me." His voice hitched as he struggled to keep his emotions under control.

"Oh Mr Callen, this is just survivor's guilt. You did all you could for Charlie Connor but you were in no position to prevent what happened. Dallas Alder was a depraved, evil man who used a young man's desire to a part of a family against him. I'm just glad that Mr Hanna was able to reach you in time otherwise the outcome would have been much worse. We would have lost you too" she said, full of emotion herself.

Finally Callen looked at her with unshed tears making his eyes bright. "I know, Hetty. I just wish I could've saved him like you saved me."

"I know, my dear. Unfortunately we can't save everyone however much we want to or how hard we try. Now, the tea should be ready" and Hetty poured the hot liquid into the two cups, handing one to Callen and keeping one for herself.

They chatted amicably for a while before Hetty said "I'll be back in a bit. I've got something for you."

Hetty left the room leaving Callen wondering what on earth she meant. She returned shortly with a box which she placed on the table in front of Callen. He looked between the box and Hetty with a slight frown and an unspoken question on his lips.

"Open it!" she said. When he took off the lid, he saw piles of cards and letters inside. Hetty continued "These cards and messages came for you whilst you were in the coma. Whoever was sitting with you at the time read them out to you but I kept them safe so that you could look at them yourself, at your leisure, when you were better" she explained.

Callen flicked through the pile of brightly coloured cards, most were Get Well and Thinking of You cards depicted with joyful pictures of landscapes, flowers or bowls of fruit but a few were comical ones. His hand rested on two cards that caught his eye. One depicted a sun emerging from a cloud with a rainbow and it said 'Wishing you Sunshine and Rainbows'. He opened it and discovered it was from Abby Sciuto from the NCIS DC office. It said _to my favourite NCIS LA Agent, Special Agent G Callen. I'm so sad to hear you're hurt. You've got to get better so you can come to see me. Sending you healing vibes and all my love Abby xxxxx_

He felt a lump in his throat and a single tear trickled down his cheek but he smiled at her words; he could hear her saying them in her characteristic frantic babble.

The other card was black and the words on the front said "At Least You're Not Dead". Callen burst out laughing, receiving an enquiring look from Hetty. He opened it and discovered it was signed by all the Five-0 team he and Sam had met when a case involving the Comescus took them to Hawaii and then brought Danny Williams and Chin Ho Kelly to LA. He read each hand written message and could feel his emotions getting the better of him again.

Wiping his hand across his eyes, he looked up at Hetty, who was smiling warmly at him. He handed her the two cards to read. She smiled when she read Abby's card and rolled her eyes in disbelief at the card from the Five-0 team. It never failed to amaze her when anyone whose jobs brought them into jeopardy resorted to gallows humour.

"Thank you for keeping these for me. I think I'd better read them later" he said.

"Of course. They are yours to read whenever you feel able and do with as you like. I suddenly remembered I had them for them and hoped they would take your mind off the nightmare" said Hetty. "Now I suggest we drink our tea before it gets cold. I don't like cold tea; not unless it is supposed to iced tea" said Hetty, smiling.

"Me neither" confirmed Callen as he picked up the cup in his right hand and took a sip, relishing its refreshing and soothing benefits as the warm liquid slid down his throat.

Lowering the cup but not replacing it on the table Callen looked at Hetty and asked "What do you have in mind for me?"

"Well, in a few minutes we'll have dinner and because of your arm, you're let off washing up duty but you can still load the dishwasher" she said with mischief twinkling in her eyes.

Callen rolled his eyes and his features broke into a huge grin.

"That's better!" said Hetty. "I've waited a long time to see you smile like that once again." She coughed to hide her obvious emotion before continuing. "Seriously, I just want you to rest for the next couple of days and get used to being at home; they'll be time enough for the intensive rehabilitation after that. Do whatever you want – within reason of course and nothing dangerous! Lie in bed and read, sit down here or by the pool, whatever you want. Unfortunately until your cast comes off you won't be able to swim but I believe you have an out patients appointment soon regarding the break so maybe you will be able to swim soon. However I do want you to do light exercises and continue taking your meds as prescribed."

Callen made a face at Hetty's last words. It was more of a twitch than anything else but Hetty noticed it.

"It was the main condition of you being released from hospital, Mr Callen. I wouldn't want to but you know I would not hesitate to get you readmitted if you defy me" she said seriously.

Callen looked at her and smirked "I know and you wouldn't take one ounce of enjoyment from it either! Hetty, I gave you my word and I will honour it" he said.

"Thank you, Mr Callen, I knew I could count on you. Now, dinner should be ready. I'll need a few minutes to serve it up and then perhaps you'd join me in the dining room. Will you need any help getting up?" she asked.

"I should be fine, Hetty. Can you get the crutches for me please? I think it'd be wise to use them until I'm not so unsteady on my feet" Callen said.

Hetty went to hall where Sam had left the crutches and brought them to Callen before going to the kitchen.

Whilst Hetty was laying the table, and serving up the meal, she was listening intently for signs of distress and hoping that she did not hear the sound of Callen crashing to the floor. Everything was ready and she was just about to check on Callen when he appeared at the door. Smiling warmly at him, she was pleased that he appeared to be managing with the crutches, although she noticed he was a little red in the face.

"This is harder than it looks" joked Callen "and quite tiring too." He made his way to the table and sat down in the chair proffered to him by Hetty. "Hetty, this is wonderful. I hope I don't disappoint you. I'm not sure how much I'll be able to eat."

"It doesn't matter as long as you're able to eat something" Hetty answered. "I don't want you overdoing it though and making yourself ill. Just eat what you think you can manage" she said. "It'll keep and can be heated up tomorrow if need be."

Hetty loaded Callen's plate with the items he indicated and placed it in front of him. "Do you want me to cut anything up for you or can you manage?" she asked.

"I think I can manage" he answered "but thanks for the offer. I might have to eat with just my fork though" he apologised.

Hetty smiled at him. She was taken back in years when he had first come to live with her and everything was new to him. Whilst she knew deep down there was good in him, he was rather defensive and brash which she understood to be a mechanism to avoid being hurt. She had fought tooth and nail with him in order to polish his manners. She had also taught him the finer details of table etiquette ensuring that he did not eat with just his fork.

"That's quite alright, Mr Callen, considering the predicament you find yourself in. Please don't get used to it though" she said with a grin.

"I wouldn't dare, Hetty" said Callen grinning and they eat their meal, chatting amicably and Callen was pleased that he had agreed to Hetty's term for he had missed living at Dovecote.

Having eaten more than he thought he would, he and Hetty sat chatting before Callen got up and started to clear the table.

"What on earth are you doing, Mr Callen?" asked Hetty dismayed.

"Clearing the table; you said I had to load the dishwasher" said Callen in all seriousness.

"I was joking! I certainly didn't expect you to take me seriously" she said, shaking her head in disbelief.

Callen looked hurt and dejected. "Hetty, I may've been injured but I'm quite capable of clearing the table and loading the dishwasher!"

"Of course you are and I didn't mean to suggest otherwise but I think it would be best to leave it until you no longer require the crutches, don't you? After all, this is the first day you've not been in a hospital bed and have been up and about" she said soothingly.

"Perhaps you're right" he acquiesced. "But when I can get about without the crutches then I'm going to help you around the house" Callen stated.

"Thank you. I will indeed be welcome of your assistance. Now go and sit down in the sitting room whilst I clear up. Do you want anything else – cocoa or a night cap?" Hetty asked.

"Not just yet, perhaps later" Callen answered and he made his way slowly back to the lounge where he settled down on the couch and waited for Hetty to join him. He felt bad that she was waiting on him but he had to admit that he would not have been able to carry anything whilst using both crutches and he did not feel strong enough to manage with just one at the moment. He hated feeling so helpless. Hopefully he would get stronger day by day and so be able to dispense with the crutches altogether. At least he had managed to use them; at the first attempt he thought he would have to use the wheelchair and he did not like the idea of that at all so he persevered.

When Hetty came in from the kitchen, Callen was dozing so she sat quietly reading until he woke up.

"Do you want to go to bed?" she asked. "You don't have to stay up on my account" she said.

"No, I'm fine. In fact would you mind if I slept down here tonight? I'm not sure I can manage the stairs with the crutches; maybe tomorrow when I've had more practice I'd be able to go upstairs" he said.

"If you're sure you'll be comfortable, I don't mind in the slightest" said Hetty. "As I've said before, this is your home and you can do whatever you like. When you're ready I'll go get a comforter for you. I can just as easily go and read in my study or in my bedroom so I don't disturb you" added Hetty.

"I don't want to chase you out of your own home, Hetty. Please stay and read in here. You won't disturb me at all. I like your company and it reminds me of the old days. I miss it" Callen said, switching positions so he was laying down.

"I do too" replied Hetty and she sat and read until she noticed Callen had fallen asleep. Quietly she got up and returned with the comforter and placed it over him. She gently kissed him on the top of his head and whispered "Good night, my son" and he murmured "G'night, mom" in his sleep. She smiled warmly as she sat back down and watched him for a few minutes before reading her book again. Everything is going to be alright, she thought to herself.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Thanks for all who are following and reviewing. Your comments are appreciated and welcome.

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS LA. It is the property of CBS, Shane Brennan and R Scott Gemmill. Thanks for creating it and letting us have fun with the wonderful characters.

Chapter 17

Callen woke in the early hours thankful that he had slept peacefully and had not been plagued by nightmares. At least he did not remember if he had which was a good thing in itself and he felt rested. Mindful of not waking Hetty, whom he assumed had retired to her own bedroom, Callen rose from his make-shift bed and, with the aid of the crutches, made his way first to the downstairs bathroom to relieve himself.

Afterwards Callen filled the sink and immersed his right hand into the warm water. Careful not to wet the cast, he dipped the fingers of his left hand in as well and wiggled them around. _This cast is a pain in the butt. The sooner I can get rid of it, the better_ he thought. Using his right hand, he splashed water in his face to refresh himself. Taking a towel he patted his face dry and wiped his hands dry.

He would dearly love to take a shower but did not think it was a good idea just yet. He was not able to stand unaided for too long and he knew he should not get the cast wet. He did not like the idea of relying on anyone, least of all Hetty, to assist him in washing. He knew that he had endured sponge baths whilst in hospital but he had been in a coma and was unaware of it. Anyway was not a sponge bath given by a nurse every hot bloodied male's fantasy? He gave a little laugh. He would have a word with Hetty and perhaps they could come up with a way he could have a shower without standing and without any assistance.

Leaving the bathroom, Callen made his way to the kitchen where he made a pot of coffee. Pouring himself a mug, he sat on a stool at the breakfast bar and pondered whether it was too early to eat. He felt quite peckish but could not make up his mind what to have.

Deciding he would like eggs and bacon with toast, Callen then thought whether that was going to be too ambitious in his current condition. The toast was not going to be an issue; he could pop the bread in the toaster and when it was done, he would have no trouble spreading it.

Callen poured himself another coffee whilst he pondered his dilemma.

Satisfied with his decision, Callen rose and using just one crutch made his way to the fridge where he got out the eggs and walked back to place them next to the cooker. He went back for the bacon and spread and placed them next to the eggs. He went back to the fridge for the orange juice and placed the carton on the breakfast. He then got two glasses out of the cupboard and placed them one at a time on the breakfast bar.

Callen, deciding that he would have tea with Hetty, got two cups and saucers and a teapot out of the cupboard, putting the teapot next to the kettle and the cups and saucers on the breakfast bar. Callen selected a blend of tea that Hetty normally had for breakfast and placed it next to the teapot ready for when he made it. Although tea should be brewed, he did not want it to stew waiting for Hetty to come down so he would not make the tea until he heard her moving around.

Callen got a frying pan out of the pan drawer and put it on the hob before fetching a couple of plates and put them in the oven, which he had just switched on so that everything could be kept . He looked around seeing what he'd forgotten. _Knives and forks and something to lift the eggs_ he thought.

Getting those items, he placed the cutlery on the breakfast bar, another knife beside the toaster and the slotted turner next to the cooker. He looked around again. Did he have everything? He believed he did so he took a stool and placed it next to the cooker where he could perch and steady himself whilst cooking.

Callen sat down and took a breather. He was finding this quite tiring and it was taking far longer than he had anticipated but he was not going to admit defeat. Seeing the time, Callen decided he would cook the same for Hetty as she normally came down at 7.30 am.

Not one normally to opt for the healthy option when it came to food, Callen was anyway mindful that grilled bacon was perhaps the easiest option for him. Callen lit the grill and placed five rashers of bacon on the pan and slid it into place. _Sam'll be proud of me grilling rather than frying the bacon; hey, baby steps!_ he thought.

Hearing Hetty moving about upstairs, Callen, having already taken four slices of bread and put them in the toaster, pressed down the levers to start it. Next he cracked four eggs into the frying pan which already had a little oil heated in it.

Callen checked the bacon and turned them over. The toast had popped up and Callen reached over and took the slices out one at a time and spread them, placing two on Hetty's plate and two on his own.

The bacon was done so Callen turned off the grill and placed two slices on Hetty's plate and three on his before turning his attention back to the eggs. Both he and Hetty liked them sunny side up and he placed two eggs on each plate.

Hearing Hetty coming down the stairs, Callen reached over and turned on the kettle. When it boiled, he placed a small amount of water into the teapot to warm it. He then turned the kettle on to bring it back to the boil. He threw away the water in the teapot and added a couple of spoonfuls of Hetty's tea and poured the boiling water on it. He replaced the lid and carefully carried it to the breakfast bar to brew.

Hetty walked into the kitchen as Callen got her breakfast plate out of the oven and placed it on the breakfast bar.

"Good morning, Hetty. I knew you don't normally have a fried breakfast but I thought I'd cook for you as well. Sit down, your tea should be brewed in a minute of two" he said.

"Good morning to you, Mr Callen. You didn't have to do this though I must admit it's a very pleasant surprise" she said, climbing onto a stool.

Callen got his plate out of the oven and put it down on the breakfast bar. He turning off the oven, moved his stool back to the bar and sat down.

"It took longer than I thought" he said "and it was quite difficult to do one handed but I think it turned out OK."

"It's delicious" Hetty said taking a mouthful. "Shall I be 'mother'?" she asked indicating the teapot. "Do you want a cup?" she asked Callen.

"Yes please" he answered as she poured tea into his cup and then her own.

They ate their breakfast in companionable silence. When they had finished, Callen went to clear away the dishes.

"No, let me do that. You've worked hard enough already" said Hetty as she put the plates on top of each other and piled the cutlery onto the top plate and moved them to the dishwasher.

"Do you want more tea before I clear it away?" she asked.

"No, I'm good, thanks Hetty" Callen answered as he watched his mentor busy herself with clearing up.

"When's my appointment to get this cast off?" he asked.

"I'll have to check but I think it's next Wednesday" she answered.

"Oh, not till then,eh?" he muttered.

"What's the problem? I thought you were managing alright with it?" Hetty asked.

"I am. It's getting in the way at the moment. It might be better once I can move about without the crutches but …" His voice trailed off.

"Yes, what is it, Mr Callen?" asked Hetty.

"I really want a shower but I mustn't get it wet; and I can't stand unaided for very long" he said dejectedly. "I'd really like to swim as well."

"Oh" said Hetty, smiling. "Is that all? I think we can get round that. Would it be any use if I put a chair or a stool in the shower?" She smiled as Callen's face lit up in a smile. "You can wrap a plastic bag or Clingfilm round the cast. Swimming will have to wait I'm afraid."

He bent down and kissed her. "Hetty you're a genius! Why didn't I think of that!" he said gleefully.

Hetty beamed back at him. "However someone needs to be here in case you get into difficulties" she added. His smile faded but Hetty continued to grin at him. "It doesn't have to be me. Would you be happier if I asked Sam to come over later on?" she asked.

"I'd rather not have anyone at all but if I have to, I'd rather it be Sam" conceded Callen.

"All righty" said Hetty. "I'll speak to him and he can phone and let you know when he'll be here. What do you intend to do in the meantime?"

"I'll sit outside and read most likely. Then I'll take short walks to build up my strength" answered Callen.

Hetty nodded. "That's fine. Just make sure you don't overdo it. I don't want to receive a phone call saying you've fallen and broken something."

"I'll be careful, I promise" he said. "If there's any paper work you want help with, just let me know" he offered.

"That's very kind of you but you're on sick leave so no getting involved with any cases, is that clear?" Hetty said.

"OK" answered Callen dejectedly. Hetty came and gave him a hug and a kiss which he reciprocated. "Have a good day, Hetty. Say 'hi' to everyone."

"I will, Mr Callen. I'll speak to Sam and he can come over and keep you company for a while. Until tonight, then" she said as she turned and went to work.

.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Thanks to all who have read and reviewed. Your comments are greatly appreciated **.** Just a reminder that this story is set in season 6 before the terrible events that took Michelle  & Owen from us.

Chapter 18

After Hetty left for work, Callen, tucking a book under his arm and ensuring that he had his cell with him, made his way to the garden. It was slow progress and Callen felt fatigued by the time he reached the patio area by the pool where there was a table with a parasol and a different array of chairs from which to choose. On the table an insulated water jug and a glass had been placed. Callen smiled. _Hetty, you really do think of everything_ he thought.

Callen chose a sturdy recliner in its upright position, which was sited at the table in the shade. Although early in the morning, the sky was clear of clouds and the sun was already flooding the garden with heat. Callen knew it would get hotter as the day progressed and he did not think it would be wise to sit in the sun as he feared that he may well fall asleep. To add sunburn or sunstroke to his list of injuries was not a good idea.

Manoeuvring until he was in a position where he could drop the book on the table, Callen poured himself a drink and placed it in easy reach of the chair. He then carefully lowered himself into the chair, placing the crutches on the floor and fidgeted until he was comfortable. Callen ensured that the foot rest of the recliner was up before he reached for the book and started to read.

Whether it was because of his injuries from which he was still recovering, the exertion of moving around or the heat, or indeed a combination of all three, Callen felt his concentration flagging having read the same paragraph three times. He rested the book in his lap and closed his eyes, meaning to have a quick nap.

Callen was rudely awoken from his slumbers by his phone ringing. A little disorientated, Callen looked around him frantically wondering where he was. He breathed a sigh of relief when he recognised Hetty's garden and home and, noticing the caller ID, quickly snatched up his phone and answered before Sam could hang up.

"G, are you alright?" asked Sam anxiously. "I've been trying for ages to get you. I was just about to rush round afraid I'd find you at the bottom of the pool or the foot of the stairs or something" said Sam, still clearly worried despite the fact that Callen had responded to his call.

"I'm good, Sam, really. I was asleep. I guess I didn't hear the phone ring before" answered Callen, trying to ease Sam's fears. He glanced down at his phone and saw four missed calls. "This is the fifth time you've phoned?" asked Callen incredulously.

"Yeah, I was worried, man. Hetty said to ring and let you know when I was coming by to sort out the shower issue and to keep you company" said Sam. "You want me to come over? If you're tired, I can come another time" said Sam.

"Hell, no, come on over Sam. I'm fine. It'll be good to see you. I'll still be out in the garden" answered Callen.

Callen reached out and took a sip of the water. _Urgh! It's warm._ Throwing it away he poured himself a fresh glass of water. Meaning only to take a sip, Callen found himself drinking it all in one go. _God, I'm thirsty._ It was then he noticed that the chair was no longer fully in the shade. _Damn, I must've been asleep longer than I'd intended. The sun's moved round. Crap! Don't tell me I've got sunstroke! Hetty'll kill me!_ Moving his chair so that he was in the shade again, Callen poured himself another glass of water, which he made a point of drinking slowly _._

It wasn't long before Callen heard the Challenger coming up the drive, followed shortly by Sam rushing towards Callen, evidently still not convinced that his friend was telling the truth.

As Sam stood in front of Callen, closely studying him, Sam let out a sigh of relief. "You are okay" he said.

"I said I was, didn't I?" answered Callen a little irked by Sam's overreaction.

"Yeah, I guess so, but I know you, G. When you say you're fine, you rarely are. I was worried, that's all" said Sam.

"But I didn't say I was 'fine', Sam, I said I was 'good'. It's totally different" answered Callen smirking.

"Don't get smart with me, Callen, or I'll kick your skinny butt around this garden" said Sam, secretly pleased that Callen was well enough to joke.

"You wouldn't kick a man on crutches would you? That doesn't seem fair. I guess I'd better call Michelle and tell her what you threatened" said Callen still teasing his partner.

"Just keep it up, G! You'll see what I'll do to you!" warned Sam but he couldn't help but smile, pleased that in spite of all Callen had gone through because of the undercover mission, Callen was beginning to act like his normal self. The bantering came easily and he was already playing down what had happened to him. Sam only hoped there would not be consequences further down the line.

Sam chose a seat and placed it opposite his partner so that he could study him.

"You good, G?" You look a little red in the face" Sam observed.

"Damn, I hoped I'd got away with it" sighed Callen. "I fell asleep and I guess I was out longer than I intended. Does it look like sun burn, Sam?" asked Callen.

"Is it sore?" asked Sam as he peered closely at his partner's face.

"No" answered Callen and rolled his eyes when he saw the expression on Sam's face as he raised his eye brows in disbelief at his friend's statement.

"Really, Sam, it doesn't feel sore" reiterated Callen and Sam nodded.

"Okay, then I think you've gotten away with it" said Sam.

"I'd better go in now, Sam. I know you're here to watch me but I don't want to tempt fate" stated Callen as he tried unsuccessfully to get up out of the chair. "Hmm, think I need your help here, buddy" said Callen.

Sam got up from his chair and bent down to pick up the crutches, holding them in one hand, whilst he held out the other for Callen to grab.

"Swing your legs over to one side, G" instructed Sam.

Callen did as he was told and using Sam's hand and arm as a support he slowly pulled himself up into a standing position. Sam waited patiently until he was certain that Callen was steady on his feet before offering him the crutches. Taking one at a time and still using Sam's strength to steady himself, Callen finally got himself ready to walk back to the house. Again it was slow progress but Sam stayed by his side in case of a mishap.

Once inside, the cool of the house hit Callen and he instantly felt better. They made their way to the lounge and Callen took his favourite place on the couch.

"You gonna join me?" asked Callen, surprised that Sam did not sit down.

"I'm gonna fix up the shower first, then I'll be back" answered Sam. "Do you want anything?" asked Sam, pleased to see that Callen's face was not as red as it appeared when they were outside.

"I'm good, perhaps when you're finished" responded Callen.

"Won't be long" said Sam. "Shout if you need anything."

Sam returned after five minutes and Callen looked up from his book.

"You done already? That was quick" he said.

"Well, it wasn't exactly a hard job, G. It was only putting a stool and a hand rail in place. You can have a look later on and see if it works for you. I'm gonna make a coffee, do you want one?" asked Sam.

When Callen shook his head, Sam added "I've bought you a couple of your favourite doughnuts as a treat."

"In that case a coffee will go nicely with them; thanks" added Callen with a smile. Sam did not normally pamper to Callen's unhealthy food indulges.

"Don't get your hopes up, G, you're only getting one of them. Save the other for later" said Sam as he turned to go to the kitchen.

Callen shouted after him "Aw, c'mon Sam, they go hard if you don't eat them straight away!"

Sam returned shortly with a tray which held the mugs of coffee and a box containing the doughnuts and placed it on the table. Sam sat down next to Callen and handed him the box of doughnuts.

"Don't expect treats like this all the time. If you're to get well and back to work, then you've got to get fit and that means eating properly" Sam said.

"Yes, mom" said Callen with his mouth full of doughnut. Sam shook his head and rolled his eyes but he couldn't help smiling at Callen's obvious delight.

"At least eat them slowly; you'll give yourself a belly ache" admonished Sam.

It was Callen's turn to roll his eyes but he did as he was told, taking a sip of coffee before picking up the second doughnut and taking a bite.

"Oh this is so good, Sam. You don't know what you're missing" enthused Callen.

"Yes, I do. Pure fat and sugar!" answered Sam, the health nut.

"Mmmm, perhaps but they're still good" answered Callen, licking sugar off his fingers. Callen looked at Sam and sighed. "Look, Sam, I know what you're saying and I will, I promise. Just let me enjoy some crap first. In hospital I was fed intravenously for a long time but even when I was allowed solids, it wasn't much better. Hospital food isn't particularly nice y'know" said Callen.

Sam sympathised with Callen. "Yeah, I know, bud. It sucks but you'll never get cleared for work if you don't eat properly" said Sam.

"Well you bought them and gave them to me. I wasn't **not** going to eat them now was I?" answered Callen.

"Okay, wise guy, you got me there" said Sam laughing. "Hey do you want to have a look at the shower? I thought you were keen to have one?" asked Sam.

"Sure" answered Callen as he picked up the crutches and followed Sam to the shower room. Sam stood aside and let Callen go in.

"It's great, Sam, thanks; I think it'll work just fine" said Callen eyeing the small sturdy stool and a hand rail that was attached to the shower wall by strong suction pads. "Y'know, I'm going to have a shower now" announced Callen, who felt a little silly getting so excited about taking a shower.

"This minute?" asked Sam.

"Yeah, why not?" answered Callen. "Hetty wouldn't let me have one when I was alone; you're here so you can help me if I need it" Callen added.

"Hang tight, G, you can't get the cast wet. Let me find something to wrap round it first. Oh and I assume you want to put clean clothes on as well?" asked Sam.

"Eh, yeah I guess so" said Callen. "Can you get them for me please Sam?" asked Callen pointing to his downstairs bedroom.

Sam trudged off to get Callen fresh boxer shorts, socks and a t-shirt, knowing that Callen would wear the joggers again. Then he went to the kitchen and found that Hetty had left a tube of cling wrap on the counter, which Sam hoped was for this purpose. Going back to the shower, Sam placed the clean clothes to one side where they wouldn't get splashed.

"Take your shirt off, G, then I can wrap the cast in this" said Sam.

Callen sat down on the stool and held out his arm and Sam proceeded to cover it with the cling wrap.

"You're good to go,G. Got everything you need?" asked Sam.

"Thanks, Sam. Yeah, got everything" said Callen looking round to check that he had shampoo, shower gel and a towel.

"I'll wait outside. Shout if you need help. Be careful" said Sam as he closed the door behind him.

Callen kicked off his shoes and eventually got out of his joggers and boxers. He was damned if he would ask Sam to undress him! Using the hand rail, Callen pulled himself to his feet so that he could reach the shower controls and turned on the shower, waiting for the water to get hot before stepping back into the shower cubicle and lowered himself on the stool. Callen took his time and luxuriated in the warmth of the water. It was only when he heard a tap on the door and Sam's voice that Callen pulled himself up and shut off the water.

"G, you alright?" asked Sam.

"Great! Why?" asked Callen.

"You've been in there so long, I thought you drowned!" said Sam.

"It's only been a couple of minutes" answered Callen "Hasn't it?"

"You've been in there nearly half an hour! I was getting worried" answered Sam.

"Really, thirty minutes? Doesn't time fly when you're having fun" said Callen, laughing. "Let me dry off and get dressed and I'll be with you shortly. I can't have you getting withdrawal symptoms from being apart from me!" added Callen.

"Keep it up, fella" warned Sam but he could not help but chuckle at his best friend's verbal antics.

Callen joined Sam on the couch and Callen saw that Sam had prepared a light meal for them both and had made fresh coffee.

"That smells good" said Callen eyeing the food on the coffee table, realising that he was quite hungry in spite of having the doughnuts earlier.

"Yeah, thought you were looking a little skinny" answered Sam. "I take it you enjoyed your shower?"

"Man it was heaven" answered Callen. "Can you get this off please? It's not a good look" said Callen holding his arm out so that Sam could get off the cling wrap, which he screwed up and placed on the table.

The two friends ate their meal and chatted amicably until Hetty came in from work. She greeted them warmly and went to change into her home attire. She then made a pot of her favourite tea and brought it into the lounge, pouring the hot liquid into three cups.

"Gentlemen, I trust you had a good day" said Hetty as she came and sat down opposite them and listened to them recount the day.


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Apologies for the delay in updating this story. I've been a little lost as to how to continue. However thanks to all who have read and reviewed. Your comments are appreciated – always.

Chapter 19:

Hetty returned from work and, when drinks had been made and handed out, listened intently and with some amusement as Callen recounted his day. Sam chipped in from time to time with anecdotes of their time together since his arrival.

"Hetty, thanks so much for arranging the extra fittings for the shower" said Callen. "It was heaven to have a proper shower at last" enthused Callen.

"Yeah, he took so long, I thought he'd drowned or something" added Sam, making Hetty chuckle.

"You're most welcome" she said. "I'm glad it worked for you."

"I'm glad you left the roll of cling wrap so that Sam could cover the cast" said Callen.

"What? You used the cling wrap?" asked Hetty, her face showing alarm.

Callen and Sam looked at each other and started to utter incoherent explanations and apologies. "Err, well that is, we thought…." they stuttered.

"Gentlemen, I'm joking" teased Hetty, trying to keep a straight face. "I'm sorry. I just couldn't resist it" she added, breaking into a grin.

Callen frowned at his mentor and said in mock seriousness "Hetty, you should be ashamed of yourself! Making fun of me like that, especially in my condition!"

"Yes, well, you have to admit, I got you" Hetty answered, smiling at their evident discomfort.

"Yes, you did, Hetty" said Callen grinning.

Sam looked at Callen and then Hetty and shook his head and smiled. He had rarely seen the way Hetty and Callen reacted to one another in private and was privileged to witness it, especially as it meant that his friend was on the mend.

"Now what do you want for supper?" Hetty asked. "You will stay as well, Sam?"

"Thanks, Hetty, it's very kind of you but I've got to get back as Michelle has something special laid on for Kamran to cheer her up. She's acting like she's still pretty cut up over the incident at the hospital" said Sam.

Noticing the look of concern that momentarily flashed across Callen's face, Sam added "G, she's fine, really. It's not your fault. Anyway Michelle and I think she's milking it for the attention but we're giving her the benefit of the doubt at the moment."

"Another time then Sam" said Hetty.

"Yeah, I'd like that" said Sam. He hesitated before asking "Hetty, can I bring Kamran over sometime so that she can see her Uncle Callen?"

"Of course. Why don't you all come to dinner on Sunday? Say 2pm. It will be good to see Michelle and your daughter again" invited Hetty.

"That would be lovely. Thank you, Hetty" answered Sam. "Do you want me to come over tomorrow after work, G?" asked Sam.

"Yeah, if you want" answered Callen. "It'll be good to see you but don't worry if you can't. Hetty will be here in the evening."

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow" said Sam as Hetty walked him to the door.

"Thank you Sam for being with him today. It means a lot to me and he seems happier than he's been of late" said Hetty.

"No problem, Hetty. Y'know I'd do anything for him. He's been through a lot and it'll take time. I've no doubt that he'll be driving us all to distraction before too long as he'll be anxious to get fit as soon as possible" said Sam.

"You're not wrong there" sighed Hetty, secretly not looking forward to the battle of wills that was certainly ahead. "He'll be restricted to what he can do whilst he has the cast on but once that comes off…" and she let her words tail away.

"I'm know" said Sam. "All we can do is try to keep him within his limitations. When's Gibbs coming? asked Sam.

"As soon as I deem Mr Callen is ready to go home, although Jethro can always stay here for a day or two" answered Hetty, pondering that it may be a good idea.

"It'll be good for G to have Gibbs around. They're pretty close?" asked Sam.

"Yes they are even though they rarely see each other" answered Hetty. "They used to work together back in the day and they've saved each other's lives on several occasions. Though I believe they sometimes disagree on who saved whose butt on any given time" laughed Hetty. "Like you, Jethro would do anything for Mr Callen and vice versa" added Hetty seriously.

"Then I'll be happy to leave him in Gibbs' hands" stated Sam.

"Oh, Sam, Mr Callen has a hospital appointment on Friday at 11am to have the cast removed. Would you accompany him please?" asked Hetty.

"Yeah, if we haven't got a case" said Sam.

"That goes without saying, Sam" said Hetty. "If a case rears its ugly head then we may have to think again but until then we'll work with plan A" said Hetty.

She said goodbye to Sam and closed the door after watching him drive away and went back to the lounge where Callen was waiting for her. They continued chatting for a while until Hetty got up to make dinner.

"Can I help you Hetty?" asked Callen.

"I'd like that very much" answered Hetty. ""I'm sure there's something I can find for you to do, otherwise it'll be nice to have you there while I'm working."

Hetty went to the kitchen where she was shortly joined by Callen. He sat at the table and cut up vegetables for dinner whilst Hetty prepared the meat loaf. Hetty peeled the potatoes as it was a task too hard for Callen to do one handed but once they were cooked, he mashed them.

While they worked, and through dinner, Callen asked Hetty about her day and about how the team was doing. Hetty in turn asked Callen what his plans were for the coming days and he said he would slowly build up his exercise in readiness for his proper rehabilitation which would start as soon as the cast was removed. Hetty nodded her approval. Secretively she was pleased that he was not rushing but knew that as soon as he was no longer hindered by the cast and as he grew stronger, his eagerness to get back to normal would come to the fore. Hetty hoped that Gibbs would be able to hold her boy in check and keep him to a realistic timescale.

LA was currently three hours behind DC and whilst Gibbs was similar to Callen in his nocturnal habits, Hetty was loathe to call him so late. She, therefore, made a mental note to phone Gibbs in the morning from the office. She needed to check how soon he was able to travel as she would like him to be with Callen shortly after the cast was removed.

After dinner and when all the plates and cutlery were placed in the dishwasher, Hetty and Callen went to the lounge where they relaxed. Callen laid down on the couch and looked over at Hetty who was sitting in her favourite arm chair.

Without looking up from her book, Hetty asked "What is it you want to ask?"

Callen smiled. He rarely caught Hetty off guard and she always seemed to know when he had something on his mind.

"You know I love being here. It reminds me of the old days when life was, er, less complicated. Or at least before I joined the alphabet agencies and gained enemies" he said.

Hetty looked up from her book and gazed at her son for that was how she thought of him. He had been such an unruly teenager and it had been extremely challenging, needing all her wits and patience to get him to remain with her in the early months. Once she had earned his trust, albeit somewhat limited and tentative, he settled down and became a joy to be with. Hetty was extremely proud of the man, and exceptional agent, Callen had become.

"I love having you home as well even if the circumstance is less than perfect" answered Hetty, waiting for Callen to continue,

Callen grinned although Hetty could see the pain, sadness and weariness behind his features.

"What's bothering you, son?" she asked sensing his reluctance to continue.

"You could always read me like a book, Hetty" he said with a smirk.

"Well, not always and certainly not of late" answered Hetty in a serious but gentle tone. "You've had to learn to mask your thoughts to survive when undercover. But you've always hidden your true feelings, even from me. Occasionally, I'll see a glimpse of them but that's only because I know you so well. You don't let many people see them; I imagine Gibbs and Sam are the only others beside myself."

Callen smiled sadly. "You're right. I can't afford to let others get too close; not in our business. It's too dangerous; not just for me but for them. I don't like the idea of my friends and colleagues getting hurt because of me" he added.

"Unfortunately it's a fact of life in our line of work. All we can do is try to minimise the fallout" said Hetty.

They sat in silence for a while each alone with their thoughts. Callen sat up, ran his hand through his cropped hair and sighed.

"Hetty, I overheard you talking to Sam. You don't have to worry, I'll do my best not to rush and overdo things. I want to get back to normal and be passed fit for work as soon as possible but I know it'll take time – and a lot of hard work. I've been there too often" he said sadly.

Hetty let out a sigh. "But I do worry about you. You mean the world to me and it breaks my heart to see you hurt, emotionally and physically."

She removed her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes as she did so, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall. Hetty hated to show her vulnerability even to those closest to her. She cleared her throat and continued.

"I know you're extremely good at what you do but this time it was as bad if not worse than the drive-by shooting. I really thought I'd lost you" she said with a hitch in her voice.

"You're not getting rid of me that easily" answered Callen, trying to lighten the mood. "I'm going to make sure I'm around a lot longer. You need someone to chase for the case reports and staff appraisals."

In spite of her mood, Hetty had to laugh. He always knew how to get her smiling again.

"Indeed I do" she answered. "Now I think it's time we had a nightcap to toast that fact" she said getting up and going over to the drinks cabinet.

"Mmm, that'll be good. Am I allowed to drink?" Callen asked.

"Oh, I don't think a small scotch will do any harm. I've always believed a single malt was beneficial to one's wellbeing" Hetty answered as she handed Callen a tumbler of Glenfiddich 12 year old malt whisky.

"Thanks" said Callen. "To survival. And family and friends" he said raising his glass in a toast.

"To survival and family and friends – past and present" added Hetty.

Callen took a sip of the amber liquid and savoured its smoothness. "You have excellent taste, Hetty" he commented.

"Yes, I do even if I do say so myself" answered Hetty, sipping her own drink.

They spent the rest of the evening in companionable silence until Callen decided to retire to his room. Still sore from his injuries, he took a while to get up and went to Hetty and gave her a hug and a kiss goodnight.

"See you in the morning, Hetty. Sleep tight" he said.

"You too" answered Hetty as she watched him walk slowly with the aid of the crutches to the stairs.

Callen stood at the foot of the stairs contemplating whether he should attempt to climb them. He would dearly love to sleep in his old bed but decided that perhaps the stairs was a step too far, after all it was only his second day out of hospital. Turning he headed instead to the downstairs cloakroom where he cleaned his teeth and got himself ready for bed.

As he entered the lounge again, Hetty asked worriedly "Is there something wrong?"

"No, I think I'll sleep down here again tonight. It's extremely comfortable and I don't think I should attempt the stairs just yet" said Callen.

Hetty breathed a sigh of relief as she thought Callen had a problem. "That's fine. Like I said you can do whatever you want and I meant it; it's your home. I'll pack up and go to bed so not to disturb you" she said.

"You don't have to Hetty. I'm fine with you staying here if you're not ready to go up yet" he said. "Will you read to me?" he asked and Hetty did so until he fell asleep.

Hetty pulled the blanket over Callen and bent and kissed him lightly on the forehead. Callen murmered in his sleep but did not wake. Hetty smiled and made her way upstairs.

The next couple of days followed the same routine with Hetty going off to work leaving Callen to spend his day exercising gently by walking round the garden with the aid of the crutches and relaxing by the pool reading a book. Sam called round most days and spent a couple of hours with his partner and best friend until Hetty returned home.

On Friday morning just as she was preparing to leave for work, Hetty said to Callen "Remember you have an appointment this morning at 11am to have your arm checked and hopefully get the cast removed. Unfortunately I can't take you but Sam will come and collect you to accompany you to the hospital. Will you phone me and let me know what the verdict is?"

"Course I will, Hetty. I hope the cast can come off. It's really driving me nuts; just being unable to use the arm properly is one thing but the itching is getting really bad" said Callen, trying to get his fingers under the cast to scratch his arm.

"Well I believe that's a good sign, it means it's healing" countered Hetty. "I'll see you tonight but don't forget to call me."

"Go! Go!" said Callen good humouredly, shooing her out of the door. "Have a good day."

Later that morning there was a knock at the door and Callen got up and slowly made his way to answer it.

"Hey, Sam" said Callen in greeting when he opened the door to his best friend. "Come in, I won't be long."

Callen turned and walked away leaving Sam to enter the house and close the door.

"G!" said Sam excitedly. "You're walking without the crutches!"

"Yeah, it's been a couple of days now since I last used them. If I take it real slow I can manage to walk round the garden. I can even go upstairs but I've got to hang onto the banisters and rest after a couple of steps" Callen explained.

Callen got his things together and accompanied Sam out to the car. Callen locked up the house and then got into the passenger seat.

"All set?" asked Sam and at Callen's nod drove off. En route to the hospital they chatted.

"If the cast comes off, I'll start proper training on Monday with the medical team" said Callen "and depending on how that goes, Hetty will consider getting Gibbs out here."

"That's good news" answered Sam. "You must be looking forward to seeing him again."

"Yeah I am" said Callen hesitantly "but you know me, I think I don't need any help; that I can manage on my own."

"No kidding! You're real stubborn in that respect" chuckled Sam.

At the hospital Sam stopped at the main entrance allowing Callen to get out.

"I'll park the car and catch up with you, G" said Sam.

Callen raised his hand in acknowledgement and Sam watched Callen's slow progress up the steps until he disappeared in through the automatic doors. Sam drove away to find a parking place and caught up with Callen whilst he was waiting at the elevator which would take him to floor where the Doctor's office was located.

"That was quick" said Callen somewhat surprised.

"Yeah, I was lucky. Someone drove out of a slot on the ground floor. You won't have too far to walk once we're finished here" answered Sam.

The elevator arrived and after allowing the passengers to exit, the two friends get in and rode up to the fourth floor. Callen announced himself to the receptionist who asked them to take seats as the doctor was running a little behind his schedule.

They did not have long to wait before Dr Grant came out to greet them.

"Callen, Sam, it's good to see you again" said Michael. "How are you doing?" he asked Callen, walking with him into the office, leaving Sam to wait outside.

"I'm good, Michael" answered Callen. "It's been slow and I've had some bad days but all things considered, I think I'm doing okay. I don't need the crutches any more" he said.

"So I see" answered Dr Grant. "That's good news. Hetty says you're dong well" he added.

Callen rolled his eyes. Was nothing sacred? However he knew Hetty was worried about him and that she would give her godson a report on how his patient was progressing.

"I might have know she'd be reporting my progress to you" Callen said smiling.

"She cares very much about you and she worries about you. Hetty is just pleased that you're getting through this" said Michael, justifying Hetty's actions.

"I know" said Callen. "Hey, when can this cast come off?" he asked.

"I want an x-ray so that I can see how well it's healed and then I'll determine whether it can be removed" said Michael.

"Okay, but I hope it's healed as it's driving me crazy" said Callen.

Michael and Callen discussed how he was feeling and how he was coping with his injuries until an orderly came to take him to the x-ray department. Once a couple of x-rays were taken, the orderly accompanied Callen back to Dr Grant's office, where they continued their conversation. They were interrupted by a knock on the door and a technician handed Dr Grant an envelope which contained Callen's x-rays. Dr Grant thanked the technician and opened the envelope and put the x-rays onto the light board. Switching it on, images of Callen's injured arm was revealed. Dr Grant examined them closely.

"What's the verdict?" asked Callen anxiously.

"Good" said Michael enthusiastically. "I'm really pleased with the way it's healed. I was concerned that we'd have to break it again and put a plate and screws in to mend it."

Callen looked aghast at the suggestion but asked "What about the cast?"

Michael turned and looked at Callen. "It can come off!" he announced.

Callen beamed at the news. "When?"

"Today, now in fact. I'll get a nurse to remove it then I just want to examine your arm before I sign you off from that particular injury at least" said Michael.

Callen returned to Dr Grant's office once the cast had been removed and Michael examined his arm. Satisfied that everything was as it should be, Dr Grant said "You're good to go, Callen. Take it easy for the next few days and don't overdo the lifting with that arm. You will need to build up the muscle again gradually but doing gentle exercises and light weights. I understand you'll be starting your rehabilitation in earnest next week and I'm sure the physio will guide you in what's needed but in the mean time, here are a couple of exercises that you can do" said Michael, handing Callen a sheet depicting diagrams of moves.

Callen was flexing his fingers and looking at the scar on his arm when Dr Grant added "The scar will fade and you will probably find it aches at first but that'll disappear once you get stronger. If you have any worries, don't hesitate to call me."

"Thanks Michael" said Callen shaking the doctor's hand warmly.

Callen went outside to Sam who was waiting patiently for his friend and held up his left arm for Sam to see.

"No cast!" said Callen.

"So I see" said Sam. "Now I suppose you're going to go all out to get fit?"

"Sam, I'm disappointed. I'd thought you'd give me more credit" said Callen grinning.

"Yeah, well, I know you G. You don't do anything by halves! You're likely to put yourself back in hospital by overdoing it" said Sam, with a worried look on his face.

"Yeah, I know but I promised Hetty I wouldn't and I intend to keep that promise. I may need help though" he added, laughing.

Sam shook his head at his friend and they made their way back to the car. Once in the car, Callen took out his phone and dialled Hetty's number.

"Mr Callen, what's the verdict?" she asked without preamble.

"I'm cast free" Callen answered.

Hetty smiled as she could hear the joy in Callen's voice. "That is good news, Mr Callen. I'll see you later on at home."

"Yes, you will Hetty" answered Callen grinning and Sam smiled as well at his partner's obvious jubilation at no longer being hindered by the cast.


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: I apologise that this story may be dragging a little; it is difficult to add tension and drama when someone is recuperating. I'll see what the imagination comes up with. In the meantime, thanks to all who are still reading this – your support and comments are most welcome.

Chapter 20

Hetty was pleased that Callen was so obviously delighted at finally being free of the cast. She thought back to earlier that morning when she had contacted Gibbs and remembered how the conversation went.

"It's Gibbs" he said when he answered the phone.

"Good morning, Jethro. How are you?" she asked.

"Good morning, Hetty. I'm fine. What can I do for you?" he asked.

"I was just phoning to give you an update on Mr Callen's condition and to ask whether you'd be able to come out earlier than originally planned. You see, whilst Mr Callen has only been out of hospital a few days and as far as I can tell he **is** being sensible and taking things slowly, he's got an appointment this morning about his arm. I'm not anticipating any problems which will mean the cast will be removed" Hetty explained.

"And once he's no longer hindered by it, you think he'll try to rush his recovery" concluded Gibbs.

"Exactly" confirmed Hetty. "He's promised that he'll behave and take his recuperation seriously and steadily but we both know what he's like; how impatient he can be especially when he's frustrated at his progress."

"No kidding" laughed Gibbs. "I've got a few stories to tell as no doubt you have as well. I was planning to come out earlier anyway but let me confirm it with Leon. I should be able to get to you as early as Sunday morning if that works for you."

"Indeed it would. Thank you, Jethro. You don't know how relieved I am to hear you say that. I can work from home on occasions but I can't always keep my eye on him. And we all know how good he is at disappearing when he wants and whilst Sam can sometimes spend all day with him, you can never predict when a case will come up as you well know. I don't believe he should be allowed to go home just yet so I'd like you to stay with us at Dovecote, at least for a week or two until we're convinced he'll be alright at home. You will be a good distraction for him" said Hetty.

"That sounds like a plan and I'm good with those arrangements. Thank you for putting me up. Are you sure it's no bother?" answered Gibbs. "I'll get back to you to confirm once I've spoken to Leon."

"No bother at all, Jethro. Thank you once again and by the way, Sam and his family are coming over for lunch on Sunday. His daughter is anxious to see her Uncle Callen. It would be lovely if you were there too. I'm sure they'd love to see you again" said Hetty.

"Sounds good. I'll look forward to it" said Gibbs as he disconnected.

After speaking to Hetty on the phone and telling her the news, Sam drove Callen home as he wanted to pick up some more clothes and his swim shorts. Arriving back at Dovecote Callen offered Sam some lunch.

"Thanks but no. You may have lost the cast but you haven't lost your inability to cook anything remotely healthy" said Sam.

"Oh that hurts, Sam" said Callen clutching at his heart, pretending to get a pain from Sam's comment. "Y'know you should be careful what you say to someone in my condition. You don't know what damage you'll cause" teased Callen.

"Keep it up, buddy and you'll see what'll happen to you" answered Sam in mock seriousness.

"You threatening me, Sam? I'll tell Hetty what you said" countered Callen sporting his characteristic lopsided grin.

"Go ahead. I'm pretty sure she'll side with me on this one" answered Sam, smiling back at his partner.

Callen paused and thought for a second. "Perhaps you're right. She can be pretty unsympathetic sometimes."

"Oh boy, you got a death wish or something G? You know Hetty knows and hears everything. What if she's got cameras watching your every move?" teased Sam.

Callen looked a little uncomfortable and looked around furtively looking for hidden cameras. "No! She wouldn't, would she?" he asked.

Sam laughed at Callen's evident discomfort. "It would explain how she seems to know everything" explained Sam. "You'd better behave just in case."

"Mmm, I've lived here for years on and off and never noticed anything" said Callen.

"Well, she's not gonna make them obvious is she? After all, if they could be easily seen then they wouldn't be 'hidden' cameras would they?" said Sam.

"I guess not. She's the Queen of the Cold War after all so she's got plenty of tricks up her sleeve and I wouldn't put it past her to keep track of me. I'm gonna ask her when she gets home" said Callen.

Sam shook his head at his friend and muttered "Whatever!" under his breath.

"If you're sure you don't want anything, then I'm going for a swim" announced Callen. "After all I no longer have the cast so I can get my arm wet!"

Sam shook his head again and let out a heavy sigh. He had a feeling that Callen would go all out now he was no longer hinder by the cast.

"Just take it easy. You don't want to injure yourself straight away by overdoing it" cautioned Sam.

"Yes, mom, I'll take it easy" answered Callen walking away to change into his swim shorts.

When he returned, Callen was surprised to see Sam still there.

"I thought you were going back to work" commented Callen.

"Not now I know you're going swimming" answered Sam.

"I'm not a baby. I can be trusted on my own" said Callen.

"Well, I'm not too sure about that" countered Sam "but I'm staying anyway, at least until Hetty gets home. It's more than my life's worth to leave you unattended!"

"Suit yourself, big guy. You gonna join me? I've got a spare pair that'll fit you."

"Not this time but I may bring mine on Sunday. I'm sure Kam would love to play in the pool when we come over. Hetty won't mind will she?" asked Sam.

"Naw, she'd love to see Kam play in the pool with us. I'd really like it too. I'm sorry I upset her and I'd like to make it up to her" said Callen.

"G, don't blame yourself, it wasn't your fault. If it's anyone's fault – and I'm not saying anyone's to blame – it was ours. Michelle and I thought we were doing what's best. We were trying to protect her and not to scare her."

"I know and it's okay. I don't blame myself, not really. But I can't help being sorry that Kam was upset at not being able to see me."

Sam gave Callen's shoulder a squeeze in support and walked with him out into the garden and over to the pool. Callen laid his towel on the lounger and walked to the steps. Glancing over to Sam he said "See I'm being sensible, I'm not going to dive in" as he backed down the steps into the water.

"Just keep it that way" answered Sam, smiling as he watched Callen tentatively take a few strokes, clearly testing his arm. Callen started with breast stroke before venturing onto front crawl, doing several lengths before stopping and getting out. Callen grabbed his towel and dried himself off before coming to sit next to Sam.

"How was that?" asked Sam.

"Fine. The arm feels pretty good. It's a bit sore through lack of use but it'll get stronger I'm sure. I'll do a couple of short sessions like that each day and gradually build it up. I'll be starting proper physio next week with the team Hetty's got lined up. I'll be back to work in no time" said Callen.

"It's not just the physical side. You'll have to be passed psychologically and you know that means talking to Nate" said Sam.

"You had to spoil it!" said Callen with a grin. "Yeah, I know I'll have to speak to Nate but it's no big deal" he added in a more serious tone.

Sam was not convinced by Callen's bravado but did not comment. They chatted about work, the team and Sam's family until Hetty arrived home.

Coming out to the garden she joined them.

"I see you wasted no time in swimming, Mr Callen. How's the arm?" she asked.

"It's good and you don't have to worry, I didn't overdo it" said Callen, looking to Sam for back up.

"No, he was uncharacteristically sensible" confirmed Sam. "He got in via the steps and only did a few lengths before getting out to rest."

"I'm pleased to hear it" said Hetty. "Now I have some news for you, Mr Callen. Jethro Gibbs will be arriving Sunday and staying here for a while until you're ready to go home. Sam, he should be here for lunch. I thought it would be good for you and your family to see him again."

"Yeah I'd like that" said Sam. "Kam especially took a shine to him."

Seeing the look on Callen's face, Hetty said "I thought you'd be pleased?"

"I am. Of course it'll be good to see him and spend time together. We don't get to do it much these days."

"What's the problem then?" asked Hetty, a little concerned with Callen's lack of enthusiasm.

"It's just that I don't want to be responsible for dragging Gibbs away from his work in DC" said Callen. "He's a busy man and he's got a team to run."

"Well, if it puts your mind at rest, the visit has been sanctioned by Director Vance and Jethro volunteered. He says he's long overdue a vacation and where better to spend it than with you."

Clearly Callen was not convinced by Hetty's words and said "I've been hurt before and made it back on my own. I don't need babysitting, Hetty. I'm not a child."

"Then stop acting like one" she snapped. In a softer tone she continued "Mr Callen, there are a lot a people who care about you. You saw that from the number of cards and messages that were left for you whilst you were in hospital. Sam, Jethro and I are just three such people."

Sam knew how difficult this was for Callen to hear. As long as Sam had known Callen, he had always thought of others before himself and Sam always wondered why it was. It was not just that Callen was a nice guy; there was something buried deep in his past that made Callen feel he was worthless, that no-one cared or loved him. However often Sam or Hetty told him to contrary, Callen still did not seem to believe them. Of late certain information about Callen's childhood and the abuse he suffered had come to light and Sam began to understand what had shaped his partner's character.

"We just want what's best for you, G" confirmed Sam gently. "We only want to see you fit and well again. If Gibbs feels he can help and he gets to have a vacation and spend time with an old friend as well, what's wrong with that?"

Hetty and Sam sat quietly as Callen processed their words. Finally he said with a hitch in his voice, clearly struggling with his emotions "Y'know it's difficult for me to ask for or accept help. I've been so used to doing everything on my own, even since having the team, that it's hard for me to do it any other way. I'm trying, I'm really trying to do it your way but you've got to be patient with me."

Clearly moved by his words, Hetty said "G, we can't begin to know what you've been through in the past or understand what effect it's had on you but we do know what you endured on this last operation. We saw what that vile man did to you and he paid the ultimate price. We nearly lost you again but were blessed that you had to strength to come back to us. We want to help and if that means giving you space then we'll respect your wishes when we can. In return however you must respect our need to help you in any way we can. You and Gibbs have history, please give him the opportunity to be a friend to you without fighting him too much" begged Hetty with tears threatened to fall.

Callen's eyes were moist as well and he looked between Sam and Hetty before saying. "Of course I want to see Gibbs – it's been way too long. I love being with you and Sam too but I hate you all seeing me weak and helpless and pitying me."

"We would never pity you G. Don't ever say that" said Sam angrily.

"I know you don't but I think it! It's a problem I've got, okay? I know in time I'll get fit again and get back to work. Look, I'll accept your help" said Callen before he added with a twinkle in his eye "I can't promise I won't have a tantrum or two!"

Hetty looked at him exasperated by his last comment and stuttered "You, you….! Oh come here and give me a hug" she said laughing.

Callen did as he was told and Sam joined them in a group hug.


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: _Apologies for the long delay in updating this story. I'm struggling somewhat with it and as I want to do it justice, I've left it alone and concentrated on I Should Have Waited. Hopefully my mojo is back and for that reason this chapter is extra long. Anyway you have my continued thanks for your patience and support. PS I hope I've got the information about the journey from LAX to Dovecote correct. I don't live in America so I just used Google maps._

Chapter 21

The next few days followed much the same routine with Callen getting up and swimming a few lengths before breakfast. After breakfast, he would do some gentle exercises in the gym before resting. Later on, after a light lunch, prepared in advance by Hetty, he would relax in the sun and stroll around the garden before swimming again. When Hetty arrived home, they would spend time together talking about each other's day over a pot of tea, choosing a specific blend to match their mood. Callen was feeling better day by day but still knew his limitations.

Sunday arrived and Hetty went to the airport to collect Gibbs, leaving Callen at home. Whilst he would have liked to accompany her, Callen sensed that she wanted to speak with Gibbs in private so he did not even bother to ask her. _I'll have plenty of time to spend with Gibbs_ he decided.

Gibbs had managed to book a seat on an early commercial flight to LA, leaving at 6.20 am and landing at LAX at 10.15am. Gibbs travelled light with only hand luggage so there was no delay waiting for baggage from the plane's hold. Hetty was waiting at arrivals when he walked through customs.

"Good morning, Jethro" she said, as Gibbs bent to hug her. "How was your flight?"

"I slept all the way so I guess it was fine" Gibbs answered.

"Good" she said. "I'm so pleased you're able to come. Mr Callen is looking forward to seeing you."

"Speaking of Callen how is he?" asked Gibbs. "I thought he might be here to meet me."

"Mr Callen's doing rather well, I'm pleased to say" said Hetty as they walked to where her car was parked. "He's very perceptive, you know. He sensed I wanted a quiet word with you alone so didn't ask to come with me" added Hetty.

They reached Hetty's car and Gibbs let out a low whistle of appreciation as he eyed the Jaguar.

"Nice car, Hetty" he said. "It's a 1974 Jaguar E-Type XKE isn't it?"

"Thank you. You certainly know your cars, Jethro. Yes it is although my particular favourite is a 1955 Porsche Spyder, which unfortunately was crashed on a highway in Monte Carlo. My bad!" she said. "A story for another day I'm afraid. Please get in and we'll talk as I drive."

Gibbs listened to the purr of the engine as Hetty manoeuvred out of the parking space and on the exit road of the airport. He waited until Hetty accessed Interstate 405 north before he started talking.

"Is anything wrong with Callen?" he asked.

"Oh no, Jethro, everything's fine" she answered wanting to dispel his fears. "It's as I said on the phone, I'm worried that he'll try and rush things as soon as he feels better."

"I may have my work cut out for me but I'll ensure that he doesn't" assured Gibbs.

"Thank you. It means a lot to me knowing he's got you to watch over him" she said, momentarily taking her hand off the wheel and patting his arm.

The Sunday traffic in LA was light and Hetty soon turned off the Interstate and take the California State Route 2 which would lead them towards West Hollywood.

"You said Sam and his family are coming over today" said Gibbs. "How are they doing?"

"They're fine. I believe Kamran has gotten over the upset at the hospital and is anxious to see Mr Callen again. It'll be good for him to see her as well. He adores Sam's kids and they him. Sam has been very supportive and has spent a lot of time with him since he came out of hospital. He does try to mother him, much to Callen's annoyance" said Hetty.

Gibbs laughed. "I wouldn't expect anything else of either of them. I can see that Sam cares very much for Callen but knowing G as I do, after a while he'll get fed up with being mollycoddled. I'm surprised he agreed to me coming" added Gibbs.

"Ah, well" muttered Hetty. "Let's put it this way, he didn't get a choice" she added.

Gibbs glanced at Hetty who was concentrating on the road ahead and did not look at him but she looked a little uncomfortable under his glare.

"Hetty? What have you let me in for?" he asked.

"Whilst he's delighted that you're here, Mr Callen believes you're too busy to spend a lot of time with him despite being told it was your idea and it's been sanctioned by Leon. He also has an objection to having a 'babysitter' as he puts it" explained Hetty. She risked a quick look at Gibb's face and noticed he was rolling his eyes skyward. _You look just like Mr Callen_ she thought. Hetty went on "Don't worry, Jethro, I'm sure everything will be fine."

They arrived at Dovecote and Hetty stopped in front of the steps to the front door. "I'll show you your room first and you can freshen up if you want" said Hetty and Gibbs followed her inside.

"Nice place you have, Hetty" Gibbs said as he looked around him

"Thank you. It's my favourite and Mr Callen feels comfortable here" she said. Gibbs made a mental note to ask Callen about Hetty's remark but did not push the issue with her. He knew that she would not divulge any personal information about him without Callen's knowledge or consent.

Hetty led Gibbs upstairs to his room and showed him where everything was. "Come down when you're ready and we can find Mr Callen. He's probably in the garden or the pool. We'll have time for some refreshments before I have to start lunch" said Hetty.

Gibbs came downstairs and found Hetty in the kitchen getting drinks prepared. "Go out to the garden and find Mr Callen" said Hetty, pointing towards the large French doors. "I'll bring the drinks. What do you want, Jethro? A cold drink or coffee?" she asked.

"A strong black coffee would be great" answered Gibbs as he wandered into the garden.

He soon espied the pool and made his way towards it. As he got closer he heard the telltale signs of someone swimming. Gibbs stood and watched Callen as he swam lengths with strong but smooth athletic strokes. Callen stopped and got out of pool grabbing his towel to dry himself. Looking up Callen spotted his old friend.

"Hey! I didn't hear you arrive" Callen said as he approached him. "Have a good flight?"

As Callen walked towards him, Gibbs noticed that his old scars had faded somewhat but were still in evidence. Gibbs eyes were then drawn to the new scars left by Dallas. The bruising had long since disappeared as had the long, shallow cuts. However the stab wounds and the scar from the surgery mending his broken arm were still very much in evidence.

"Yeah, slept all the way" Gibbs answered.

"Didn't have anyone to babble non-stop about boats, eh?" said Callen grinning. "Didn't they even get you a Sniper magazine?"

Gibbs laughed at Callen's comment as the two friends greeted each other warmly, hugging each other for longer than normal. Neither man was known for openly displaying their feelings but the hug spoke volumes.

Gibbs pulled away and choked back his emotion as Callen spoke with a hitch in his voice. "Let me go and change. Make yourself comfortable" said Callen indicating the loungers. "I'll come and join you shortly."

As Callen went indoors, he met Hetty. "Do you need a hand with that?" he asked indicating the tray of drinks she was carrying.

"Thank you but no, I can manage" she replied. "Will you be joining us?"

"Yeah, I'm just going up to change" he answered. "I'll be right back."

As she watched Callen take the stairs two at a time, Hetty shouted after him "Slow down, Mr Callen. Jethro isn't going anywhere soon!" Callen absently waved his hand at her in acknowledgement but did not slow down.

"He'll be the death of me" muttered Hetty as she joined Gibbs.

Gibbs leapt up and took the tray from her and placed it on the table under the parasol. He looked at her questioningly, tilting his head to one side.

"Mr Callen, he's just gone running up the stairs two at a time!" she explained exasperated.

Gibbs laughed. Hetty glared at him for a moment before laughing herself. Callen joined them shortly and when he sat down and looked at him, they started laughing again.

"What's so funny?" he asked, a little bemused by their behaviour.

"Nothing, G" said Gibbs trying to keep a straight face but not succeeding.

"I don't know what you're laughing about but it's good to hear Hetty laugh again. It's been a long time" he said.

Hetty reached out and took his hand and squeezed it. "Until recently, I've had no reason to laugh, not until I knew you were going to be alright" she said. Callen squeezed her hand in return. "Now who's ready for a drink?" she asked, handing Gibbs a cup of coffee and pouring tea for Callen and herself.

They sat chatting about Gibbs's work, Hetty's house and garden and anything else that came into their minds. Hearing voices, Callen said "I think Sam and his family have arrived. I'll go and get them."

Kamran saw Callen and ran to greet him, jumping into his arms, nearly knocking him off his feet.

"Uncle Callen!" she yelled at the same time as Sam yelled "Kamran! Take it easy".

"Sorry" Kamran mumbled. "Did I hurt you?"

"It's okay, princess, I'm fine. How are you?" he asked, catching her and swinging her round.

"I'm good. Where's the pool?" she asked excitedly.

"Kamran!" said her mother, sternly. "Don't be rude."

"Sorry" she said dejectedly.

Callen put her down and hugged Sam and Michelle in turn and then gave Aiden, who was lagging behind, a shoulder hug.

"It's good to see you all" said Callen. "Come this way; Hetty and Gibbs are over here" continued Callen, taking Kamran's hand and walking towards where Hetty and Gibbs were sitting.

Hetty and Gibbs stood up when they saw Callen and the Hanna family approaching and went to greet them. Hetty hugged Michelle.

"Hello, my dear. How are you? I'm so pleased you could come" she said.

"Thank you, Hetty. It's very kind of you to have us all over" answered Michelle.

"You remember Agent Gibbs?" said Hetty.

"Of course" said Michelle as you turned to greet Gibbs. "It's good to see you again, Agent Gibbs."

"Please, just Gibbs is fine. You too and under happier circumstances this time" he said, pulling her into a quick hug.

He had already greeted Sam and Michelle and had been introduced to Aiden. Now he turned his attention to Sam's daughter, who was holding onto Callen's hand and leg tightly, looking up at Gibbs bashfully from under her eyelashes.

"Now who is this pretty little lady?" he said crouching down to her level. "Have I met you before?" he asked.

Kamran smiled at him and said "Yes! Don't you remember? I was at the hospital seeing Uncle Callen and you were there too."

"Naw! That wasn't you" said Gibbs. "She was such a little girl. You're a lady" he said smiling.

Callen, Sam and Michelle exchanged glances and smiled at how well Gibbs was coaxing Kamran out of her shell.

Kamran released Callen's hand and took a couple of steps towards Gibbs. She looked up at him and said "No, silly, that was me but I'm a bit older and bigger now."

"Kamran! Watch your manners" warned Sam.

"I'm sorry Mr Gibbs" said Kamran.

"You can call me Uncle Gibbs, if you'd like" said Gibbs.

Kamran looked around and caught Callen's eye and he nodded, smiling. She then looked over at her parents who also gave their consent. Gibbs held out his arms to her and she went to him and he swept her up into his arms, stood up and gave her a big hug. Walking back over to the chairs he sat down with Kamran on his lap. The others found seats and joined him. Hetty handed out drinks and they all chatted.

After a little while, Kamran started to fidget. "What's up Banana Hanna?" asked Callen who had noticed.

"When can I go in the pool?" she asked.

Callen turned to Hetty and asked "Do we have time before lunch?"

Hetty glanced at her watch. "Yes. I haven't started it yet so you've got about two hours."

"Do you want me to help you with lunch?" he asked.

"No, thank you Mr Callen" she said. "I think your talents best lie with entertaining our guests."

"Oh Hetty, that hurts! Are you saying that I'm of no use in the kitchen?" he asked with mock indignation.

"Not at all, my boy, you're extremely helpful, as long as you're not actually cooking!" she said smiling.

Gibbs smiled at the carefree banter between the pair. He knew Callen and Hetty had history and that they were close. He knew that Hetty had hardly left his bedside when Callen was in hospital and he was pleased to witness the exchange.

"Do you have your swimming costume with you, Kam?" Callen asked.

"I'm wearing it already" Kamran answered. "I just need to take off my top and skirt" she added.

"Okay, I've just got to change into my swim shorts and I'll be back" said Callen. "Did you bring yours, Big Guy?" asked Callen of Sam. Sam nodded. "Aiden?" asked Callen and he confirmed that he had as well. "What about you, Gibbs? You coming in? I've got a spare pair if you didn't bring yours with you?"

"I did bring them but I'll take a rain check this time" said Gibbs. "I'll chat with Hetty and Michelle and watch you guys."

"Okay. Won't be long" said Callen as he rushed off to change.

"G! Slow down" said Sam, being the mother hen "we're not going anywhere soon!"

"Leave him be, Sam" said Michelle. "He's obviously feeling better and is pleased we're all here."

"I know, babe" answered Sam "but I can't help worrying. We almost lost him and I don't want him to overdo it and put his recovery back" added Sam.

"That's the reason Jethro is here, Sam" said Hetty gently. "He'll make sure Mr Callen follows a sensible regime for his continued recovery. In the meantime, let him enjoy his time playing with your kids. If you're going in the pool as well then you can keep an eye on him too. The serious work of rehabilitation starts tomorrow. He needs today to relax."

Callen reappeared shortly wearing his swim shorts and carrying several towels, which he laid on a vacant lounger. "In case you didn't bring towels" he said. "C'mon, who's ready to get wet?" he said laughing.

Sam and the kids had stripped down to their swim wear already and were waiting for Callen before getting in the pool.

"I am, Uncle Callen!" shouted Kamran, jumping up and down in excitement.

"Okay, last one in is it!" said Callen as he watched Sam, Aiden and Kamran all rush towards the pool and jump in. They all surfaced, laughing and looking around for each other.

"Hey, G" called Sam, seeing his friend still standing by the side of the pool. "I guess you're it!"

"Guess I am" said Callen as he went towards the steps. As he stood on the top step, he turned and faced Hetty and said "See, I'm being good."

"Thank you, Mr Callen. I appreciated it" she answered smiling. "Now go and be with our guests."

She watched him go down the steps into the pool pretending that the water was too cold. In reality it was heated to a pleasant temperature and she knew he was messing about to entertain Sam's kids, who had now taken to splash him. Sam started to join in as well. Callen was now in the pool but still pretending it was too cold. Kamran came too close to him and he grabbed her, lifting her out of the water. She shrieked with joy as he gently threw her back into the water. She surfaced and laughing came back to him to do it again. Sam and Aiden had found a beach ball and were throwing it to each other and soon Kamran and Callen joined in the game.

Hetty, Michelle and Gibbs were watching the action from their vantage point and were laughing at the antics. Gibbs could see the undisguised look of affection on Hetty's face as she watched Callen play with Sam's daughter.

"He's really good with the kids" said Gibbs, a little surprised. He had not seen this side to his friend.

"Yes, he is although he says he's only good with Aiden and Kamran" agreed Hetty continuing to watch the pool. "He's got an affinity with all children. I've witnessed it on several occasions when children have been used as tools by others in a case" she added.

"My kids adore him" said Michelle. "They think the world of him and it's not because he spoils them rotten especially Kamran! He's funny, really thoughtful and enjoys their company. They were both really upset when he was hurt. Aiden was especially sorry that he couldn't come to see him in hospital because of his academy obligations. That's why he insisted on coming today; he's got to go back tonight."

"It's got to be good for him to relax and enjoy himself in their company" said Gibbs. "Sam's good for him too. It's obvious he cares for him."

"Yes he does" agreed Michelle. "G's like a brother to him and Sam worries about him but he has a tendency to go overboard with it."

Hetty laughed "Indeed, he does. He does tend to be a mother hen around the team but especially towards Mr Callen." She paused and watched the pool before glancing at her watch. "Oh my, is that the time? If I don't start cooking, we won't be having lunch until dinner time! Excuse me, won't you."

"Can I help you at all?" asked Michelle.

"Not at the moment, thank you my dear. Perhaps a little later I can call on you for assistance?" Hetty answered.

"Of course, just shout when you need me" said Michelle and watched as Hetty went back into the house leaving her and Gibbs to while away the time.

After a while Callen got out of the pool leaving Sam and his kids to play.

"Are you okay G?" asked Michelle a little worried.

"I'm fine. I'm a bit tired as I've already been swimming this morning. I don't want to overdo it" he answered, wrapping himself in a towel and sitting down with Michelle and Gibbs. After a while Callen got up and went inside. Sam and the kids got out of the pool and dried themselves off before sitting with Gibbs and Michelle.

Michelle got up and said "I'm going to see if Hetty needs a hand. I'll leave you two to chat. Aiden, Kamran behave yourselves and don't pester Gibbs or your Dad."

Inside Michelle found her way to the kitchen by following the joyous sound of easy banter. There she found Hetty and Callen working together getting lunch together.

"Hi, Mich" said Callen smiling. "Getting bored out there?"

"Not at all. I just thought I'd leave Sam chat to Gibbs. Do you need a hand" she asked.

"Oh, you could lay the table please" said Hetty. "G, please show Michelle where everything is."

Callen took Michelle to the cupboard where the dinner service and cutlery was kept and together they took everything into the dining room.

Callen put the plates on the warmer and went back to kitchen whilst Michelle laid the table for seven people. Soon everything was ready and Hetty asked Callen to call the others in from the garden.

When they all came in, Hetty indicated where they should sit and Callen and Michelle helped bring in the meat loaf, mashed potatoes and vegetables. Hetty carved the meat loaf and put it on the warmed plates and Callen handed out the plates to Michelle, then Kamran, Gibbs, Sam and finally Aiden. He then took the plates for Hetty and himself and put them down on table where they were sitting.

On seeing that lunch was comprised of meatloaf Kamran said joyously "Oh goody! My favourite! I'm sooo hungry after being in the pool."

Everyone laughed and Hetty said "Well it's a good thing I made so much. Come on, eat up everyone or it'll get cold!" she said and she watched happily as everyone especially her boy tucked into their food.


	22. Chapter 22

_A/N: Thanks to all who continue to read, review and support this story. It's most appreciated. We've still a little way to go I think but let's see what the characters have to say to me_.

Chapter 22

Callen did not finish the food he had put on his plate as, half way through the meal, he started to feel nauseous. He glanced at Hetty who was looking at him concernedly. _You don't miss anything do you Hetty?_ he thought as he offered her a weak smile.

"Not finishing your meatloaf, Mr Callen?" she asked.

"I'm leaving space for dessert" he said and he watched her as she gave him an unperceivable nod as she understood what he was saying. "Can you help me clear the table please?" she asked of him. "We can then proceed with dessert."

"Certainly" he answered as he got up and collected the plates, piling them on top of one another with his, containing his unfinished food, on top. Michelle offered to help but both Hetty and Callen declined her offer. "We're fine, Michelle. Thanks anyway" said Callen as he followed Hetty out of the dining room.

In the kitchen, as Callen put the plates on the side ready to go in the dishwasher, Hetty asked "Are you alright, son? You look a bit off colour."

"I'm feeling a bit nauseous. I think I bolted my food" he said by way of explanation.

"Please don't try to pull the wool over my eyes. If you're feeling ill or are in pain, I need to know so I can help you" she said taking his arm gently.

"I'll be fine" he added.

"As long as you're sure then take these bowls out and I'll bring the dessert" she said. She watched him go back into the dining room but was not convinced by what he said. _I think I need to keep a close eye on you, my boy. I don't think you're being entirely honest with me or yourself for that matter._

Callen put the bowls by Hetty's place mat and took his seat. Hetty came out and placed the dessert down and announced "Now who wants some banana pudding?"

Kamran almost leapt out of her chair with joy. "Oh yes please. It's my favourite" she announced.

Michelle said, a little embarrassed by her daughter's exuberance. "Kamran! Calm down and stop being so rude! We taught you better manners than this!"

"I'm sorry, Miss Hetty, but it is my favourite" apologised Kamran.

Hetty smiled. "It's quite alright Michelle. I seem to remember how important a favourite dessert is to a young child. Now Kamran, do you want custard or ice cream with it?"

"Oh ice cream please" said Kamran trying to contain herself.

"I'll go and get it" said Callen as he got up and went into the kitchen. He came back and placed the container on the table and put a couple of scoops in Kamran's bowl.

"Thanks Uncle Callen" she said as she tucked into the banana pudding and ice cream.

"Does anyone else want ice cream?" he asked and dollopped scoops into the bowls of those who wanted it including his own.

The rest of the meal went well and Hetty was pleased that Callen managed to eat his small helping of pudding and ice cream. Sam and Gibbs helped Hetty and Callen clear the table. Once everything was cleared away, Hetty brought out drinks for everyone.

Having finished her coffee, Michelle said "Thank you Hetty for such a wonderful day. It was really kind of you to invite us over."

"You're most welcome, my dear" answered Hetty. "I've thoroughly enjoyed it myself and I believe it has done Mr Callen a power of good too. It was good to see him enjoy himself so much. I also thought you'd like to see Gibbs again" she added.

"Yes it was good to see him again" said Michelle and turning to address Gibbs she added "and I can't thank you enough for your kindness to Kamran at the hospital."

Gibbs did not respond but just smiled and hugged Michelle.

Sam came forward and said "I'm sorry to break up the party but if we're to get Aiden back to school, then we should hit the road."

"Of course, Sam, don't let me keep you any longer" said Hetty as one by one the Hanna family said goodbye to her.

Sam hugged Callen and said "It's good to see you looking so well, man. The kids really enjoyed themselves. I hope they didn't tire you out?"

"Naw, I'm good. I feel better than I have for a long time. Thanks for coming over, Sam. Drive safely" answered Callen.

"Will do and I'll see you soon. Enjoy your time with Gibbs" added Sam before he turned and went to his car followed by Michelle. Aiden gave Callen a shoulder hug before joining his parents. Kamran flew at Callen jumping into his arms, almost knocking the breath out of him and planted a big kiss on his cheek.

"I love you, Uncle Callen" she said beaming widely.

"Love you too, sweetie" he answered as he put her down and kissed her on the top of her head. "You'd better hurry or you'll be left behind" he added as he watched her race out to her father's car.

Hetty, Callen and Gibbs stood on the steps as they watched Sam drive away. "I think that went well" said Hetty to the two men as they went back indoors.

"It was a wonderful day" agreed Gibbs. "Thank you for arranging it. It was good to see Sam and his family again. They certainly care for you, G" said Gibbs to Callen, as he put him arm round his shoulder and pulled him into a hug as they walked back to the lounge.

"Yeah, they've been good to me" answered Callen. "They invite me over for meals and I get to spend time with the kids. Not Aiden so much, now he's at military academy but I see a lot of Kam. She's a great kid and growing up real fast." Callen paused before adding "I guess they're family."

"Indeed they are, Mr Callen" agreed Hetty as they settled down in the lounge and chatted.

"I'm going to get a drink" said Callen. "Does anyone want anything? I can put on some coffee, real strong like you have it Gibbs and I can make a pot of tea for you Hetty."

"That would be nice" said Hetty.

"Can I give you a hand?" asked Gibbs.

"No, I'm good, thanks" answered Callen and as he turned to go to the kitchen, added "Won't be long."

Hetty and Gibbs chatted while they waited for Callen's return. They could hear him moving about in the kitchen, opening and closing cupboards as he got together everything he needed. Callen thought carefully about which blend of tea to make and settled on Yellow Mountain Tribute Chrysanthemum tea, which he knew to be a particular favourite of Hetty's. It was a trifle too flowery tasting for Callen's less concerning palette but he would drink it to please her. He opened the caddy and smelt it. _Good, it doesn't smell mouldy. Not like the time Sam made it for her._ Callen smiled at the memory of Hetty trying to teach Sam to make a pot of tea.

Callen turned his attention to Gibbs' preference. He drank nothing but black coffee, the stronger the better. _Typical marine!_ thought Callen and was reminded of one of Gibbs' Rules: _rule # 23 never mess with a marine's coffee if you want to live._ Callen chuckled to himself.

Callen put a jug of coffee, the pot of tea, a mug and two cups and saucers on a tray in readiness to take them out to his friends. Callen felt thirsty so he got a glass from the cupboard and filled it from the chilled water dispenser in the fridge. As he was approaching the kitchen island where he had put the tray, he felt light headed. He reached for the edge of the island with this left hand to steady himself but felt his knees give way.

Hetty and Gibbs were roused into action when they heard an almighty crash come from the kitchen. Jumping to their feet they rushed through the kitchen door to see Callen lying on the floor amidst a mess of broken crockery and glass.

"Oh my, G, are you alright?" she all but screamed as she rushed to him.

Gibbs had reached him first and was grateful to see that Callen was conscious and was trying to get up. He helped Callen to a seated position with his back against a cupboard and noticed for the first time that there was blood on Callen's cheek and all over his right hand. On closer inspection, Gibbs saw a deep gash on his cheek and a shard of glass sticking out of his palm.

"Geez, G? What happened?" asked Gibbs.

Callen looked and sounded disorientated and muttered "I don't know. I was getting a glass of water and next thing I know, you're picking me up off the floor." Callen looked at the mess around him and then at the worried face of Hetty. "Hetty, I'm sorry" he said.

"Whatever for?" she asked confused.

"I broke your favourite tea pot and cups" he said. "I'll get replacements for you I promise."

"Oh my dear boy, they aren't important but you are. Now let me have a look at your injuries, especially your hand" she said as she gently took Callen's hand in hers. "Jethro, the first aid kit is in that cupboard and from my study, can you please get the magnifying glass that's on the desk. I think I may need it to see whether I can safely remove that shard of glass."

Gibbs gave the first aid kit to Hetty before rushing to the study. When he returned with the magnifying glass, Hetty had started to clean the gash on Callen's cheek and he was wincing as she gently dabbed at it with antiseptic wipes. "It'll need stitches" and when she saw the concern on Callen's face she added "but I think we can get away with butterfly stitches." Hetty smiled as he visibly relaxed. _You may be a tough cookie but you're a wimp when it comes to needles!_

Taking the magnifying glass, Hetty carefully examined the wound. She pursed her lips in concentration and frowned. She looked up as she felt two pairs of eyes on her. "Is it bad?" asked Callen.

She gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "I don't think so but I believe it's beyond my expertise to remove the shard safely."

"Don't make me go to hospital, please Hetty. I've had enough of them lately" Callen pleaded. Hetty gazed into the deep blue eyes of her boy and saw a mixture of pain and apprehension. She smiled at him reassuredly and saw his expression relax somewhat.

"Let me call Michael. If he's satisfied that he can attend to it here then I won't make you go. However, if he says otherwise, I'm afraid you'll have to. Fair enough?" she asked. Reluctantly Callen nodded his consent. "Now let me clean it as best I can. I'll pack it with pads and then bandage it so it's cushioned and you can't do further damage to it."

Once it was bandaged and Callen's hand and arm was placed into sling to keep it immobilised, Hetty got her phone and called Michael.

"Hello Michael. I know you weren't due to come here till tomorrow but Callen's had an accident and we need your expertise" said Hetty. She explained to Michael what had happened and the nature of the injury and he said he would be right over.

Gibbs had got Callen to his feet and had supported him when he swayed a little. Taking his good arm, Gibbs slowly walked Callen to the lounge and sat him down. Hetty brought Callen a cup of tea which she knew would soothe him and placed it on the coffee table in easy reach of his left hand. She sat with him while Gibbs went out to the kitchen to clean up the mess. They did not have to wait long before Michael arrived, letting himself in.

"Hello, Callen" said Michael. "What have you done this time?" he asked trying to keep his tone light.

He knew from what Hetty had told him that the injury to the hand might be nasty. If the glass had gone deep enough to damage the deep muscle or flexor tendons it could make it impossible for Callen to bend his fingers or thumb and as he was right handed then the consequences could be catastrophic, not just in his line of work but in his everyday life. Michael would have to hope for the best once he had a chance to examine the injury properly but all was not lost because tendon damage could be treated by undergoing surgery.

"Before I look at your hand, let me stitch the gash on your cheek" said Michael.

Callen looked beseechingly at Hetty who asked on his behalf "Will butterfly stitches be sufficient?"

Looking into Callen's worried face, Michael smiled and said "I've got some glue that should do the trick but I'll put a butterfly stitch on as well. We don't want it to leave an ugly scar, do we?" Callen smiled gratefully at him, more for the fact that he did not have to suffer any needles as opposed to it leaving a scar.

After the gash on the cheek was glued and a butterfly plaster put on for good measure, Michael turned his attention to Callen's hand. He gently removed the bandage and padding that Hetty had put on so that he could get a good look at the injury.

"You did a good job bandaging it Hetty" said Michael. "Can you get me a bowl of warm water please?" and Gibbs went to get it bringing it back and placing it on the table.

"Try to relax, Callen" said Michael as he dipped his hand into the warm water to wash away any dried blood. Taking his hand out, Michael placed it on a clean towel that Hetty had given him and gently dried it, paying careful attention to the wound itself. Michael reached into his medical bag and pulled out his surgeon's head-mounted binocular magnifiers with lights so that he could see exactly what he was dealing with. Michael gently moved Callen's hand so that he could see the injury from every angle before he made his decision.

"This will hurt, Callen. I should probably give you a local anaesthetic but I know how you feel about needles. What do you want?" asked Michael.

"Just do it, Mike" said Callen. "I'll be okay."

"If you're sure?" said Michael and Callen nodded to confirm his intention. Taking some tweezers, Michael said "Here we go" as he grabbed hold of the shard of glass and swiftly pulled, ensuring that he did not twist it at all.

Callen gritted his teeth against the pain but relaxed as soon as the glass had been removed. Hetty applied a pressure pad as previous instructed by her god son when blood started to flow from the exposed wound. As soon as Michael had put the glass segment down, he took over from Hetty and continued to apply gentle pressure on the wound until it had stopped bleeding. Still wearing his binocular magnifiers, Michael removed the pressure pad so that he could get a good look inside the wound.

"It may hurt but can you wiggle your fingers and thumb?" asked Michael of Callen and was pleased to see movement albeit a trifle stiff and a little restricted. Michael could tell that Callen was worried at how hard it was to move them. "That's normal as the tendons are likely to be bruised; movement will improve. You're extremely lucky, Callen. I believe the glass has missed all major tendons. That's the good news." Hetty, Gibbs and Callen all breathed a collective sigh of relief at the news. "But the bad news is I will have to stitch it. Neither medical glue nor butterfly stitches are suitable. I'm afraid you'll have to put up with a needle" announced Michael.

Callen sighed. "That's okay, Mike. I guess I'm just not that lucky."

Hetty and Gibbs chuckled and were proud that Callen was able to joke after all he had been through. Michael rinsed the wound out with saline and then proceeded to put four stitches in Callen's hand, all without anaesthetic which he had declined yet again. He then put a pressure pad on it and bandaged it up so that it was protected against infection and knocks. "Take these tablets, starting right now" Michael said, handling Callen a course of antibiotics. "You know the drill; don't stop until the course is complete. You can take pain killers if the pain gets too bad. I certainly suggest you take some tonight before you go to bed; it'll help you sleep" added Michael.

Callen nodded and uttered his thanks to Michael, who went into the kitchen with Hetty, leaving Gibbs with Callen. Callen laid down on the couch with his right arm still in the sling resting on his chest. Gibbs sat down on the other couch and watched over him. The two friends were comfortable together in the silence, feeling no need to talk. The fact that Gibbs was there with Callen spoke volumes.

In the kitchen, on the pretence of getting a drink, Michael asked "Hetty, what happened exactly?"

Hetty sighed and sat down on a kitchen stool. "I don't know. He went into the kitchen to get us some drinks. We heard a crash and found him on the floor, just there" indicating the area by the kitchen island where they found him.

"Well I guess he hit the edge of the island when he fell which would account for the gash on his cheek. It'll leave a nasty bruise as well" he added. "But why did he fall? Has he said he's feeling under the weather?"

"This is Callen we're talking about, Michael. He never admits that anything's wrong" said Hetty.

"That's true" chuckled Michael. "But on a serious note, it makes it darn hard to make any diagnosis if he's not telling us the truth."

"Don't I know it?" said Hetty. She paused and thought for a moment before continuing. "He was looking a bit off colour at lunch and he didn't finish his food, which in itself isn't surprising considering what he's been through recently. He said he'd bolted his food but then he ate his dessert."

"Okay. What's he been doing today?" asked Michael.

"He did some exercises this morning and then swam. When Sam and his family came, he got back into the pool when the kids wanted to go in and play. Do you think he's overdone it? He's been conservative with his exercises up until now" asked Hetty.

"Perhaps; let him rest and I'll be back tomorrow around noon to check him over and run some tests. He obviously can't start his rehabilitation tomorrow as planned so he's likely to be frustrated. Allow him to do what he's able but he can't swim. I don't the wound getting wet. Get him to keep moving his fingers; it's important that they don't seize up. In the meantime, if you're worried at all, phone me at any time" said Michael.

"Thank you so much for coming over. I didn't mean to ruin your Sunday" said Hetty.

"You didn't and anyway he's my patient" answered Michael. "He's also family. You know I'll do anything for you and your family."

Hetty kissed Michael on the cheek and went to the door to see him out. When she came back into the lounge, she stood and shook her head, for both men were lying on their individual couches fast asleep. Hetty sighed and smiled warmly. _What is it about these two men and their obsession for sleeping on couches?_


	23. Chapter 23

_A/N: My gratitude to those who continue to read, review and support this and my other stories. I'm humbled by your words which encourage me to continue and improve. Thank you._

Chapter 23:

Callen woke up and was surprised to find the room in total darkness. _Have I really been asleep that long?_ Not knowing the exact time but feeling thirsty, Callen sat up. A soft groan escaped his lips as his injuries from the fall made themselves known.

"Where do you think you're going?" said a voice in the darkness.

Callen started. "Dammit Jethro, don't do that! You scared me half to death!"

"Slight exaggeration G but I get your point" Gibbs chuckled. "Where you going?" he asked.

"To the kitchen. I'm thirsty" answered Callen.

"I'll get it. What do you want?" asked Gibbs.

"Water's fine. Thanks" replied Callen.

When Gibbs came back, he found that Callen had turned on the table lamp so the lounge was bathed in a soft glow. Gibbs handed Callen a glass of water and sat down on the couch opposite him. An angry bruise had formed on Callen's left cheek and Gibbs made a mental note to check on it later on.

"How ya feeling?" Gibbs asked.

"Okay I guess but a bit sore" answered Callen.

"That's understandable. Do you remember what happened?" asked Gibbs.

"It's a bit patchy but mostly. I fell and got glass stuck in my hand. Hetty got Mike to come over to check me out as I didn't want to go to hospital. Never mind me, what are you doing down here so early?" said Callen.

"We thought you'd be more comfortable on the couch as you didn't want to go to bed and I stayed to keep you company. You laid down and eventually dropped off to sleep. I guess I did the same. I don't remember Mike leaving or Hetty going to bed" explained Gibbs.

Neither man was known for willingly sleeping in a bed or for sleeping much at all for that matter. Callen barely slept for more than four hours and would normally get up and tinkle with some household equipment, taking it apart and putting it back together again. Gibbs was renowned for building boats in his basement but he did not have that luxury at Hetty's house. He would have to find something else to occupy his time when he was not keeping his friend out of trouble.

The two friends chatted until dawn started to break through the curtains when Gibbs went to make coffee. He handed Callen a mug and sat down again with his own.

"Good morning gentlemen. Couldn't sleep?" asked Hetty standing in the doorway.

"Hetty" said Callen "we didn't mean to wake you."

Hetty smiled at Callen. "You didn't, my boy. I woke quite naturally and thought I'd come and check on you. You were both sound asleep when I came in from seeing Michael off" she said.

"That early eh?" said Gibbs.

Hetty nodded. "I imagine you were both exhausted. Oh my, that bruise has come out now. Michael said it would. Let me have a quick look at it." Hetty cupped Callen's chin in her tiny hand and tilted his head so she could get a better look. "Your eye's a bit bloodshot. Does it hurt?" Callen shook his head. "Is that the truth? I don't want you acting the hard man. If there's a problem we need to sort it."

"No Hetty, my eye doesn't hurt and I can see out of it perfectly well" said Callen with all the patience he could muster. "The cheek is sore though."

"Mmm, it would be. You hit the edge of the kitchen island when you fell" explained Hetty. "Michael's coming back around noon so he'll look at it then."

"Why's he coming back?" asked Callen suspiciously.

"You were supposed to start your rehabilitation today if you remember. The injury to your hand means that it'll have to be postponed until it's healed sufficiently. Michael's coming to check on your condition and to explain what you can and can't do. I'm afraid you won't be able to swim for a while and you must keep flexing your fingers" Hetty explained.

Callen sighed and looked despondent. He had been pleased with his progress so far and was starting to feel normal although he knew he had a long way to go before he would be allowed back to work, let alone back in the field.

"I'm sure it won't be long" said Gibbs recognising his friend's disappointment. "And there must be something you enjoy that Mike will let you do."

"Exactly" concurred Hetty. "I know you're disappointed but it's just a small setback." _As long as you've not done any serious or permanent damage to the tendons and there's not an underlying reason why you collapsed_ she thought.

Clasping her hands together with a small clap, Hetty looked at the two men. "Is it too early for breakfast, gentlemen?" asked Hetty. They both shook their heads. "How do eggs, bacon and toast sound?"

"Great!" said Callen. "Can I help?"

"No, thanks, just relax and keep Jethro company. I'll call you when it's ready" answered Hetty as she went towards the kitchen. At the door she paused and turned and asked "Do you want tea and coffee while you wait?"

"Yes please" said Callen.

"I'll come and get it. What do you want G?" asked Gibbs.

"Tea, please. Hetty knows which one I like" Callen answered. Gibbs nodded and went to join Hetty.

In a hushed tone, Hetty asked "How's he been, Jethro?"

"Good. I'd been awake since 3am and didn't hear him stir so I think he slept soundly most of the night till about 4.00am when he went to get a drink. I told him to stay put and got it for him as I didn't want him falling again" answered Gibbs, who was looking at Hetty's reaction carefully. He continued. "I sense there's something that you're not telling him."

"Michael and I are a little concerned as to why he collapsed, as I'm sure you are" said Hetty. Gibbs nodded. "He's coming back to run some tests to see if there's an underlying reason for it or whether it was just due to overexertion. He also wants to check on his hand to ensure that there is no permanent damage to the tendons" Hetty explained.

Gibbs raised his eyebrows and tilted his head in his characteristic way which always reminded Hetty of Callen. Gibbs said "I thought Mike said he hadn't done a lot of damage to the hand?"

"Well, he doesn't think he has but he needs to examine it again to be on the safe side. You know what it means if there's permanent damage?" asked Hetty.

"Yes, it would end of his career, at least as a field agent" stated Gibbs. "That would kill him as it's his life" he added. Hetty nodded gravely. "You also know the risk you're running by lying to him?" asked Gibbs.

"Indeed" said Hetty. "However last night was not the time to mention it. He was distressed enough as it was and I believe Michael thought it was too soon to say something as well. I'll ensure he tells Callen all possible scenarios today when he sees him. He appears a lot stronger after a good night's rest, don't you agree?"

Gibbs nodded and said "I'd best take these drinks out or he'll become suspicious".

"Yes" agreed Hetty. "He's like you in that respect, Jethro. He's also got an uncanny instinct of when something's not right or when I'm keeping something from him."

Jethro chuckled. "My gut feeling! You've got it too, Hetty. I think all good agents and law enforcement people have it to some extent. It keeps us alive" Gibbs said.

"Indeed" agreed Hetty. "Now take the drinks out or breakfast will be ready before you get the chance to have them."

Gibbs handed Callen his cup of tea and they chatted until Hetty called them in for breakfast. Hetty was pleased to see that Callen had a good appetite and finished all his food. Afterwards Callen sat on a stool whilst Gibbs helped Hetty clear away the breakfast things and then they adjourned to the lounge where they sat and had further drinks. As Hetty feared, Callen was not satisfied by her earlier explanation as to why Michael was coming to see him again.

"Why's Mike really coming back?" asked Callen and, seeing a look of evasion in her eyes, added "Please don't lie to me Hetty."

"I'm not lying to you. Michael's coming to check on your injuries and to suggest some rehabilitation exercises you can do until your hand heals" she said.

Callen's blue eyes scrutinised her face but there was no humour in them, only sadness and suspicion. Hetty's eyes never wavered under his gaze but she risked a glance at Gibbs whose expression was non-committal which Callen saw.

"There's something going on that you're not telling me" he said starting to get angry. "What is it? I have a right to know."

"Yes, you do" said Hetty, letting out a deep sigh and watching Callen carefully and pleased to see him relax a bit. "However you're not going to like it. Whilst what I told you earlier is true, Michael wants to examine you thoroughly and run some tests."

"I'm fine. I don't need any more tests" stated Callen.

Gibbs could see Callen was getting agitated at Hetty's words. "It's just a precaution, G" he said.

"Why? What does he think is wrong?" demanded Callen.

"He doesn't know which is why he wants to run tests" said Hetty. "Hopefully it's nothing but he wants to be sure. We're worried about you."

"I'm fine" stated Callen again.

"Then why did you collapse last night?" said Gibbs, his tone a little harsher than he had intended.

Whilst neither man was renowned for accepting help, Gibbs knew that it caused difficulties for those who cared for them. Gibbs also understood what Callen was going through. Callen needed to be in control of the situation and clearly felt he was not, which was one reason why he was being difficult. He also hated relying on others but most of all Callen hated to feel vulnerable and for others to see him that way. What was, in fact, love and concern, Callen saw as pity and disgust. His early life experiences had left him with a desire to protect those who could not protect themselves. It also moulded him to be a perfect undercover agent but it had also left him with a natural distrust of people. Over the years Callen had slowly allowed a select few behind his defences and Gibbs was proud to be one of them. However it did not always make Callen the easiest person to deal with.

"I don't know. I got dizzy" said Callen in a quiet voice.

"Healthy people don't get dizzy" said Hetty. "There has to be an underlying reason which is what Michael is looking for." She looked at her boy and saw that he was secretly worried as well. In a softer voice she added "I know you're worried too but we're hopeful it's nothing more than overexertion from playing with the kids in the pool yesterday. After all, you'd already done some exercises as well as swimming before they'd arrived."

Callen looked up and their eyes met. "Why didn't Mike say something yesterday?"

"You were disorientated by the fall and distressed by the damage you'd done, which by the way is of no consequence" answered Hetty, noticing that Callen's memory of the broken tea set was upsetting him again. "He thought it was best to let you rest. He's going to speak to you when he comes today. I promise we'll not keep anything from you."

Callen was thoughtful and looked between Hetty and Gibbs. "Okay" he said "but I'll hold you to that promise."

After a while Callen announced that he wanted to have a shower and then get some fresh air.

"Is that wise, considering what happened last night?" asked Hetty.

"Hetty, I can't act like I'm a fragile piece of porcelain. You know that's not me" he said. "Look, I've still the stool and hand rail that Sam put in when I first came home. I can wrap my hand in cling fling so it doesn't get wet. Hey, I'll even leave the door open with Gibbs on guard outside." He paused, waiting for her response. "Please?" he pleaded.

"Alright" Hetty agreed. "But you do exactly what Jethro says and when you go outside, someone must be with you. If you don't, all bets are off and you'll be confined to the house until Michael or I say otherwise. Understood?"

Callen sighed "Yes, m'am" he said.

"Don't you 'Yes, m'am' me, young man" said Hetty, trying to keep the grin off her face. "I care about you and don't want to see you suffer further, especially from your own stubbornness." She looked up into his face and saw his eyes twinkling with mischief and her heart swelled with the love and pride she held for him. "Now go along before I change my mind" she added.

Callen bent and kissed her on the top of her head and went off to have his shower. Gibbs watched the exchange with amusement.

"He'll be the death of me" said Hetty fondly, shaking her head. She became aware of Jethro watching her. "Don't say a word, Jethro, I know I'm too soft on him."

"I wasn't going to say a thing" answered Gibbs smirking, another characteristic that reminded Hetty of her boy.

"Mmm, you'd better go after him. You know what he's like. He'll say one thing and do another. Watch over him, Jethro" she said.

"You got it" said Jethro as he went after his friend.

Gibbs entered Callen's room and saw that the door to the shower room was ajar. True to his word, Callen had put cling wrap over his hand and was using the stool. Gibbs announced his presence and Callen called out to him.

"I left my towel on the bed. Can you get it for me please?" he asked.

"Sure" answered Gibbs who picked it up and entered the ensuite. "Here you are" he said handing Callen the towel. "You good or do you need a hand?" he asked.

"No I'm fine" replied Callen. "Be with you in a sec."

Shortly Callen came out with the towel wrapped around his waist and sat down on the bed.

"How do you feel?" asked Gibbs.

"A bit tired but okay, I guess" answered Callen. "Can you get me clean t-shirt and boxers from the top drawer" he asked.

Gibbs did as he was asked and handed Callen the t-shirt and underwear. "What about socks?" asked Gibbs.

"Naw, these ones were clean on last night so they'll do" Callen said as he got dressed. "Give us a hand taking this wrap off please" and Gibbs did as he was asked depositing it in the basket.

"Do you want to rest?" asked Gibbs noticing how pale Callen suddenly looked.

"I need some fresh air. Let's go out to the garden. Hey, sorry man, do you need to freshen up or anything? I'll wait till you're ready, promise" said Callen, suddenly remembering that his friend only arrived yesterday and had slept in his clothes last night.

"Yeah I do need to shower and change. I won't be long. Will you stay here? I don't want you attempting the stairs or the garden on your own" said Gibbs.

"I'll be right here" said Callen. "Scout's honour."

"Were you ever a scout? Never mind" said Gibbs looking at Callen's grin. "I'll be back shortly" he added.

Gibbs had returned to Callen's room within 10 minutes and found him asleep on the bed. The day was already heating up to be another warm one but the room was cool so Gibbs did not feel the need to cover his friend with a blanket. Gibbs checked that Callen was breathing normally and did not appear to be suffering from a fever. Gibbs went downstairs to find Hetty. She was sitting in the lounge reading the paper. She looked up as he entered the room.

"Where's Mr Callen?" she asked a little concerned. "Has anything happened?"

"No, he's fine. He's showered and followed your instructions to the letter" he said. "He insisted I freshen up which I must admit I needed. When I went back to his room, he'd fallen asleep. He appears to be sleeping peacefully but I'll sit with him just in case he's not well" said Gibbs.

"Thank you, Jethro. You're a good friend to him. I'll bring you up a coffee" Hetty said and she watched Gibbs go upstairs to watch over her boy.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

A/N: Thought I'd leave it there before I continue with Michael's visit as the chapter was getting too long. Hopefully I'll be able to post another chapter shortly.


	24. Chapter 24

A/N: _Thanks again to all who continue to read and review. You know who you are and how much your comments mean to be. Another chapter in this saga but still a little way to go before the end I believe._

Chapter 24

Callen was still sleeping peacefully when Hetty returned with the coffee for Gibbs as promised. She handed Gibbs his cup and placed her own on the bedside table. Hetty stood over Callen watching him closely before reaching to touch his forehead and sensed Gibbs tense. As she gently placed the back of her hand on Callen's forehead she murmured softly "Не волнуйся, это только я. Я не собираюсь причинять тебе боль."

Satisfied that Callen was not running a temperature, Hetty nodded and smiled and said "He doesn't appear to have a fever. I think he's just exhausted. At least that's what I hope is the matter." She turned and looked at Gibbs who had a look of amazement on his face.

"You'll have to teach me that trick" he said quietly, smiling at his host. As a fluent Russian speaker, Gibbs understood what Hetty had said to Callen. "I've never managed to wake him up without almost losing my head" he chuckled.

"Indeed" said Hetty smiling and settling down in the chair beside the bed. "I learnt the hard way long ago not to try and wake him using any conventional method as I think we all have. He was always most apologetic and devastated by any injury he'd caused me or others. For self preservation, I discovered that speaking to him in Russian in a non-threatening voice calmed him. I've used it time and again over the years to great effect" she explained.

Gibbs smiled at the obvious bond that the two had and knew that Hetty referred to instances in the past when Callen had been seriously injured or shot in the line of duty. Gibbs wondered why he had never thought about using Russian before but realised that Hetty knew a great deal more about Callen's past than he did even though he had known him a number of years and had worked together in the past. They continued to chat in hushed voice so as not to disturb Callen.

"Michael should be here any minute" said Hetty. "I'll go downstairs and wait for his arrival." As Gibbs prepared to get up and follow her, Hetty added "No, stay here with Mr Callen, please Jethro. I'll be much happier knowing you're watching over him even though I don't believe he's in any immediate danger medically. I'll let you know as soon as Michael's here" she promised as Gibbs nodded and sat down again.

Hetty took one last look at Callen and left the room. Hetty did not have to wait long for Michael's arrival. He let himself into the house as before and found Hetty busy preparing lunch.

"Hello, Hetty" said Michael, announcing his presence. He walked up to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek and a hug. "How are you?" he asked.

"I'm fine. Thank you for asking" she replied.

"Good. More importantly, how's our patient?" he asked.

"Both he and Jethro were asleep on the couches by the time I'd returned from seeing you out last night" Hetty said and Michael raised an eyebrow at the news. "According to Jethro, Mr Callen slept through the night until about 4am when he tried to get up to get a drink. Jethro made him stay where he was whilst he got it for him. They chatted until I got up at 7 and cooked breakfast."

Michael digested all the information and asked "How was his appetite?"

"Good" answered Hetty. "I did eggs and bacon and he ate most of it."

"Where is he?" asked Michael, looking around failing to see anyone else in the house.

"He's upstairs sleeping" answered Hetty. Michael raised an eyebrow and frowned. "He went and had a shower, supervised by Jethro and when he was dressed suggested that Jethro take the opportunity to freshen up as well seeing as he'd only arrived yesterday morning. Jethro made him promise not to go downstairs until he'd finished and when he came back, Mr Callen was fast asleep on his bed" explained Hetty.

"Is there any signs of a fever?" asked Michael.

"No I don't think so" said Hetty. "He's not clammy to the touch although I haven't actually taken his temperature. I think he's just exhausted. He did quite a lot yesterday as well as the excitement of having Jethro and Sam's family here."

"Perhaps" said Michael not quite convinced. Seeing the look of concern on Hetty's face he added "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. I'll examine him and run some tests which will give us a definitive answer to whether there's any underlying problem."

Hetty nodded. "Do you want a drink or lunch first?"

"No thanks, I think I'd better check G over first" Michael said.

"Alright but before I go and tell Jethro that you're here I want to warn you. Mr Callen was quite agitated this morning about why you were coming back. I tried to play it down but you know how he is. He's extremely intelligent and can detect nuances as well as being a trifle paranoid." Hetty chuckled and continued in a more serious tone. "He's already suspicious that you're keeping something from him. You need to be completely honest with him about what may have caused him to collapse and his sleepiness. Also you need to be totally upfront about any potential consequences of the injury to his hand."

Michael looked at Hetty and saw the worry etched in her face. "I will. I had no intention of lying to him and I will explain everything to him. Thanks for bringing it to my attention though I'm not surprised knowing G as I do."

"I'll go and let Jethro know. I think he wants to talk to you as well before you see Mr Callen" said Hetty before she went upstairs.

"Michael's here" said Hetty as she entered Callen's room. "How is he?"

"Still sleeping peacefully" answered Gibbs.

"Good. I've told Michael everything that's happened this morning and about Mr Callen's suspicions. He's fully onboard but I've told him you want to chat to him as well. I'll stay here until Michael comes up."

Gibbs, being a man of little words, just nodded his understanding and went downstairs to see Michael. The two men shook hands and welcomed each other warmly.

"I understand from Hetty that G's been sleeping a lot" said Michael without preamble.

"Yeah, much more than normal but he doesn't appear to be ill or in distress" said Gibbs.

"Well, that's what the tests are about. They'll find anything which may be causing his symptoms" said Michael.

"Callen's also concerned as to why you're really coming back to see him" said Gibbs. "He feels it's unnecessary but y'know how he feels about doctors in general and showing weakness in particular." Michael nodded. "He also senses that something's being kept from him. He doesn't like secrets so you need to tell him the truth even if it's potentially bad news" warned Gibbs.

"Hetty has already told me but I fully understand. This isn't my first rodeo with Callen so I know how difficult he can be. I promise I'll explain everything to him and give all possible scenarios. I'll also explain to him why I didn't say anything last night" said Michael. Gibbs nodded his approval.

"Callen can be very unpredictable when woken from sleep. Do you want me there?" asked Gibbs.

"No. I guess Hetty's with him at the moment so she'll help me if need be although I won't have her there during the tests unless he wants her to be. I'll take up a cup of tea for him though" said Michael.

After making a tea and coffee Michael made his was upstairs and gently tapped on the door to announce his presence. "Still asleep?" he asked.

"Yes" said Hetty. "He's hardly stirred. I'm getting worried."

"I'm sure it's nothing" said Michael putting the drinks down on the bedside table.

"Do you need assistance waking him up?" asked Hetty.

"No thanks. I'll manage. Please go downstairs. If he wants you or Jethro to be with him during the tests, I'll let you know" said Michael.

If Hetty was put out by what Michael said, she did not show it but just nodded and did as she was asked. Michael sat down by the bed and watched Callen for a few minutes before saying "G". As he got no response, he spoke again this time a little louder "G!" and was rewarded to see Callen stir.

"G" said Michael again and Callen awoke, a little groggy from sleep. Callen looked at Michael and with a bit of struggle managed to sit up, resting his back against the headboard. "There's a cup of tea for you" said Michael indicating the tea on the table. "It should still be hot."

"Thanks" said Callen as he reached for the cup with his left hand. He took a sip and murmured "Nice! It's just right."

"How do you feel? I understand you slept well last night albeit on the couch?" asked Michael.

Callen smirked and said "Yeah, out like a light, which makes a change."

"How are you feeling now? I understand you've slept quite a bit again this morning" asked Michael, keeping his voice neutral and non-threatening.

"Good, I guess. I had a good breakfast and then had a shower. Gibbs watched over me and when he went to freshen up I laid down on the bed to wait as I'd promised I wouldn't go downstairs or outside without him. Next thing I remember is you calling my name" answered Callen. "I don't know why I'm so tired."

"I understand you've also got reservations about the tests I'm going to run" said Michael.

"Yeah, a bit. I thought everything was okay so why more tests?" asked Callen.

"It's just a precaution. Hetty's worried about you and is concerned that there's an underlying reason why you collapsed last night" explained Michael.

"Well she worries too much" said Callen, a little dismissively.

"Perhaps she does but she almost lost you after the mission and doesn't want to run that risk" answered Michael.

Callen grunted as if to say _she needn't worry about me_.

Michael interpreted the response correctly. "Don't sell yourself short, G. There are a lot of people who care about what happens to you. Hetty's one of them as is Gibbs, which is why he's here I imagine."

Seeing Callen was uncomfortable with the fact Mike continued. "Whether you like it or not, it's the truth. I also care but you're also my patient so I have a duty of care towards you. I'm hoping it was nothing untoward which caused the incident last night but I have to check. In order to do that, I need to run tests. You yourself have just said that you're still feeling tired in spite of all the sleep you've had" he added.

Callen looked in Michael's face and eyes and only saw concern and honesty. He begrudgingly consented to the tests.

"Thank you, G. Unfortunately for you, I need to take some blood" said Michael knowing Callen's dislike of needles. Callen rolled his eyes. "I'll make it as quick and painless as I can" promised Michael.

"I'd like Gibbs to be with me. Are you okay with that?" asked Callen.

"I'm happy with whatever makes you comfortable" and seeing the look of mischief twinkling in Callen's eyes, Michael quickly added "as long as you allow me to run the tests."

Callen shrugged having been caught out and said "Okay, you win. I'll let you do the tests and I'll behave."

"Then I'll go and get Gibbs for you" said Michael as he disappeared downstairs.

Finding Gibbs and Hetty chatting in the kitchen, Michael said "Callen's consented to the tests without too much fuss but he'd like you to be with him, Jethro."

Jethro tilted his head to one said and looked at Hetty. "It's alright Jethro. I know he's had too much of me fussing over him but he needs you to watch his back so to speak" said Hetty obviously not upset in any way by Callen's request.

Michael turned to go back upstairs with Jethro following him when Hetty caught Jethro by the arm stopping him. Jethro took down at her and saw the worry in her face as she said "Just be there for him, Jethro. I think deep down he's scared there's something wrong with him but doesn't want us to worry."

"I know" said Jethro. "I picked up on that as well though he's trying hard to hide it."

"Yes" said Hetty. "He's always been stubborn." Gibbs' mouth twitched into a half grin and he went upstairs. Entering Callen's room, he found Michael taking Callen's temperature.

"You've started without me" said Gibbs eyeing Callen for any signs of distress.

"I said Mike could start" said Callen. "I knew you wouldn't be long."

Gibbs sat down on the chair by the bed so that he could see both men clearly but not impede Michael whilst he executed the tests. Michael had seen that the bruise had formed on Callen's cheek and that his eye was bloodshot. Gently Michael pressed around the bruise, which caused Callen to wince.

"Sorry but I needed to check whether the cheekbone was broken, which it isn't" explained Michael, "How's your sight? Any double vision?" he asked. Callen shook his head. "Okay. Follow my finger with your eyes but don't move your head" instructed Michael and Callen did as he was told.

Michael checked Callen's pupil reactions to light and then took an ophthalmoscope to examine the interior structure of the eye, especially the retina. He sounded Callen's chest, front and back and then took his blood pressure, writing the results down in a notebook.

"I'm going to look at your hand to see the extent of the injury in daylight" said Michael. "Gibbs, get that cushion and place it under his hand. Now G, put your hand on the cushion with your palm facing upward. That's good" said Michael as Callen did as he was asked. Michael took a pair of medical scissors from his bag. "I'm going to cut off the bandage. Hopefully it hasn't stuck to the wound but I'll be careful if it has."

Gibbs could see that Callen was a little tense as Michael gently removed the bandage to reveal the wound which was still red and angry looking. Callen's eyes flickered up to meet those of Gibbs and he realised that the possibility of not being able to use the hand properly had already crossed Callen's mind. Gibbs smiled encouragingly and was relieved to see a slight twitch of Callen's lips as he responded.

Michael looked at the wound carefully and reached for his surgical magnifying glasses to get a better look. "Please wiggle your fingers" asked Michael and was pleased to see them move. "How does it feel?"

"Painful and they feel a little stiff" answered Callen.

"That's understandable" answered Michael. "It only happened last night. I don't think there'll be any permanent damage." Callen breathed a sigh of relief. "But don't overdo things. You need to give the tendons time to heal. I'll can give you some gentle exercises that will help."

The last test was to take blood. Callen had been generally relaxed whilst Michael performed the other tests but Jethro noticed that he visibly tensed when Michael produced the needle.

"You know how this works, Callen. I'll put the tourniquet on to raise a vein and then insert the needle to get the sample. It'll be over before you know it. You just need to relax" said Michael softly, trying to lessen Callen's anxiety.

"I can't do this, Mike, not right now!" said Callen, trying to pull his arm away. Michael hesitated unsure as to whether he should force the issue or give in to Callen's wishes as he was started to hyperventilate.

"G! Look at me" said Gibbs in a commanding voice and was relieved when Callen looked at him and saw the tension leave his body. "That's good. Tell me what you want for lunch" asked Gibbs.

Callen frowned and said "Lunch?"

"Yes, what do you want to eat for lunch?" asked Gibbs again.

Callen raised his eyebrows and said "Oh I don't know. Whatever Hetty's made will be good enough for me." He looked at Gibbs and then at Michael to find both men grinning. "What?" he asked, a trifle confused.

"Are you coming downstairs now?" asked Michael.

"I'll go downstairs when you've finished the tests" answered Callen.

"I've finished" announced Michael.

"What about the blood tests? You decided not to do them?" asked Callen.

"No, I've done them already" said Michael still grinning.

Callen looked down to see a small piece of cotton wool taped to his arm. A look of surprise and confusion flickered across his face before realisation dawned on him. "Gibbs! You tricked me!" he said.

"Not really, G. I just distracted you at the right moment" answered Gibbs. "C'mon, let's go downstairs and join Hetty. She'll be anxious to know what the verdict is."

Downstairs the three men joined Hetty who was waiting for them in the lounge. She looked at each of them in turn her face etched with concern.

"How did it go?" she asked quietly.

"I behaved" announced Callen with a cheeky grin and was pleased to see Hetty's features relax although she did not smile.

"I should hope so" she said. "After all you're not a child any more although you sometimes act like one" she added, her mouth twitching into a smile. Callen had no answer to her statement so he just shrugged.

"I won't know for sure until I get the results of the blood test but I don't believe there's anything seriously wrong." Hetty let out her breath which she did not realise she was holding and it did not go unnoticed by the men. "All G's stats are within the normal range although his blood pressure is a little low. There's a blood pressure monitor here so you keep a record of it for me. He tells me he fell asleep in the sun the other day so he may have suffered slightly from heat stroke and he's a little dehydrated. He possibly over exerted himself yesterday exercising and then playing with Sam's kids which would have been a contributing factor mixed with dehydration and low BP. I'm going to check on his medication as well to see if they could be causing the problem" explained Michael.

"What about his hand?" asked Hetty, a little worried about what she would be told.

"It looks good and although it's obviously very sore and stiff, Callen can move his fingers easily" answered Michael. "It'll be a little while before he gets any strength back and he should refrain from clenching his fist, especially hitting things" he said eying Callen

"You don't have to worry Mike" said Callen, rolling his eyes. "I've a feeling there'll be at least two people who aren't too far away who'll make sure of that!"

"Too right!" said Gibbs and Hetty echoed the sentiment saying "You can be sure of it, Michael!"

Michael grinned He was under no illusion that Callen would be anxious to get back to normal but he also knew that he would be frustrated in any attempt to overexert himself by Hetty and Gibbs. "G, just be prepared for the eventuality that I may need to x-ray or scan it just to be on the safe side but I'm confident there's no permanent damage."

"That is good news" exclaimed Hetty beaming. She did not know what she would have done or indeed how Callen would react if it the verdict regarding the hand was different. She looked at Callen and saw only relief on his face and she knew that he had been secretly concerned about his future.

"Now we know everything is hunky dory, well relatively, whose for lunch?" asked Hetty and was pleased when they all signalled that they were.

…

 **A/N:** Не волнуйся, это только я. Я не собираюсь причинять тебе боль translates to "Don't worry, it's only me. I'm not going to hurt you." As per Google Translate.


	25. Chapter 25

_A/N: Thanks to all who continue to support this story by reading and reviewing. Your comments and encouragement mean a lot to me._

Chapter 25

Hetty laid up the table for lunch with the help of Michael, leaving Gibbs and Callen to chat.

"I still can't believe you tricked me like that, Gibbs" said Callen grinning.

Gibbs tilted his head to one side and his mouth twisted into a lopsided smile. "Well I wouldn't have to if you weren't such a baby about it" answered Gibbs.

"I'm a baby now am I?" quipped Callen feigning disbelief and hurt at his friend's comment.

"Err, yeah you are" answered Gibbs.

"Really?" whined Callen.

"Yeah a real lightweight" said Gibbs "but only when it comes to needles!" he added laughing.

"If you two can stop teasing each other for a minute" said Hetty smiling, "lunch is ready." She was quietly pleased that Callen's mood had improved sufficiently that he felt able to joke with Gibbs. She had feared that the injury to his hand, setting back his recovery, would send him into a despondent mood.

Gibbs reached out offering his hand to Callen which he took with his good hand, allowing himself to be pulled gently to his feet and they joined Hetty and Michael at the table. Hetty always laid on a great spread and lunch was no exception, a little too healthy for Callen's liking but she still included elements that he enjoyed. He also knew Hetty was ensuring that he ate food that was nutritious and would aid his recovery. The quartet chatted amicably about various subjects and Hetty was gratified that Callen managed to eat a fair amount. He had lost a lot of weight and had slowly started to build up some muscle from swimming. She hoped that it would not be too long before he was able to begin to swim as it was good exercise, something he seemed to enjoy, and it was not as hard on his body as some of the other pursuits Callen would have preferred to be doing. She made a mental note to ask her godson when Callen might be allowed to swim again. After lunch and when everything had been cleared away, they all went into the lounge where Michael demonstrated some exercises for Callen to do.

"G, I'm going to give you some exercises which will strengthen your hand and help the tendons to heal correctly" said Michael. "I've asked Hetty and Gibbs to remain so that they can ensure you're actually doing them and doing them correctly."

Callen raised his eyes to the ceiling and sighed. "What makes you think that I won't?" he asked.

"Well, I've known you a long time and know how impatient you are, especially when it comes to looking after yourself and getting well after an incident" said Michael,

Callen looked at the faces of his three friends and thought about denying the statement but thought better of it. "Okay, well maybe you're right" he said.

"You know damn well what Michael says is correct" said Hetty, a little more sternly than she had meant but she always found herself worried and frustrated by Callen's disregard of his own wellbeing. "Whilst you're under my roof, it's my rules and you'd better remember it, Mr Callen."

Callen grinned at his diminutive mentor "Yes, m'am" he answered.

"Don't be cheeky" she replied grinning.

Michael spoke again. "The first exercise I want you to do are finger bends, which will strengthen your flexor tendons and increase the mobility of tendons across your fingers."

Michael demonstrated by placing his hand palm side up on the table and straightened his fingers. He then bent his fingers towards the middle of his palm and held the position for a few seconds. He returned his fingers to the starting position and held for a few seconds. Michael then moved his hand so that he was positioned on the edge of the table and bent his wrist and fingers backwards as far as he could and held the position for a few seconds before returning his hand to the starting position. Michael asked Callen to repeat the exercise so he could see that he was doing it correctly.

"As you know, tendons are tissues that connect muscles to bone. The hand contains two types of tendons: flexor and extensor tendons. Extensor tendons extend from your forearms to the back of your fingers and thumbs, enabling you to straighten your fingers and thumbs. Flexor tendons allow you to bend or flex your fingers and are located on the palm of your hands, extending from your wrists to the small bones of your fingers and thumbs. You damaged these tendons when you fell on the glass so this exercise will help to strengthen these tendons as well as restore and increase mobility in your hand and fingers" explained Michael. "You can also do the exercise on your good hand if you want as it's a good workout for an already strong hand."

"Another good exercise is to use a rubber band to strengthen the tendons in the hands post surgery or in your case post injury. To perform this exercise, place an elastic band around your thumb and fingers like this" said Michael demonstrating the technique. "Keep your elbow straight, stretch the elastic band by opening your fingers and thumb. Hold this position for three seconds. Slowly return your fingers and thumb to the starting position. You can perform this exercise until you're tired" said Michael.

Michael went to the room downstairs that Callen had occupied when he first came home from hospital and returned with a dumbbell. "Callen, it's important that you begin with a light weight. This one should be light enough. Please don't overexert yourself with this exercise as you can do more harm than good by tearing the tendons before they've had a chance to heal" warned Michael.

"Dumbbell wrist curls offer a rehabilitative workout to strengthen the flexor and extensor tendons. To perform this exercise, grab weighted dumbbells appropriate to your stage in recovery. In your case a light weight and I will tell you when you're ready to increase the weight. Do I make myself clear?" asked Michael.

Whilst Callen thought that he was over reacting, he saw in Michael's eyes that he was deadly serious. Callen thought about arguing but decided against it, when he noticed the expressions on the faces of Hetty and Gibbs. "Yeah" he answered a little despondently.

"Okay then" said Michael as he continued. "Kneel in front of a bench, or in this case a low coffee table, and bend your arms at the elbow. With your palms facing up, place your elbows and forearms across the bench, with your wrists and hands off the bench. Inhale and bend your hands from the wrist, lowering the dumbbells toward the floor. Hold this position briefly. Exhale and return the dumbbells to the starting position by rolling your wrists and contracting the flexor muscles in your forearms."

Michael handed Callen the dumbbell and watched as he prepared to repeat the exercise using the low coffee table as Michael had in lieu of a bench. Even before Callen tried to lower the dumbbell towards the floor, he made a sharp intake of breath and grimaced.

"Did that hurt?" asked Michael concerned.

Callen thought about lying but knew it would not do any good as they had all heard his gasp and seen the look of pain flicker across his face before he could control it. "Yeah, it did. The other exercises were fine. I didn't have any pain except a little discomfort because of the stiffness in the fingers" answered Callen truthfully.

"If it was painful then it's best that you don't do that exercise until the wound has healed sufficiently" said Michael.

"What if I use a lighter weight?" asked Callen hopefully as he really did want to do exercises that would strengthen his hand. Gibbs went to the room and came back with the lightest dumbbell he could find and handed it to his friend, who tried again with the same results.

"No, it's still too soon for that exercise" said Michael. You only damaged your hand yesterday. Now do you see why I warned you?"

"Yeah" answered Callen a little down hearted.

"Do you really, Mr Callen?" asked Hetty afraid that he was just saying what was expected of him.

"Yes, Hetty, I do" said Callen with a hint of anger. "If I do this exercise before Mike tells me I could end up damaging the hand and ending up in surgery." Seeing the look of hurt on Hetty's face, Callen added in a softer tone. "I'm sorry I snapped. I'm just frustrated that's all."

Hetty held out her hand and took Callen's good hand in her small one and squeezed reassuringly. "I know son but we're all here to help you. I know this is a setback you hadn't anticipated and it'll be hard for you but you will get through this and back on track" she said.

"Hetty's right" said Michael. "As long as you follow my instructions to the letter, the hand will heal as good as new and then you can concentrate on getting fit. I shouldn't have shown you that last exercise. I should've realised it was far too soon to do it. I'm sorry, G" added Michael.

"You've got nothing to be sorry for Mike. You've done a lot for me, not just now but at other times as well. I appreciate it" said Callen with a hint of emotion of his voice which he was trying to mask.

"We good?" asked Michael and Callen nodded. "Anyway I should get the results of the blood test tomorrow and I'll let you know what my conclusions are" Michael added. "I've taken up enough of your day. I'd best be going."

Michael rose and the others did the same. Callen hugged Michael warmly and thanked him again. Gibbs shook hands and Michael hugged and kissed Hetty.

"I'll see you out" said Hetty as she walked with her godson to the front door, leaving Gibbs and Callen alone in the lounge. Hetty walked outside with Michael to his car and said to him "I'm worried about him, Michael. He's taken this quite badly."

"I know and showing him the dumbbell exercise didn't help either" answered Michael. "I'm kicking myself. I should've known it was too soon."

"Don't berate yourself. You know he has a way of bending others to his will which in this case is to get better quickly. Gibbs and I will do our best to ensure he doesn't push himself too hard or do that particular exercise. Unfortunately we're not with him 24/7 and if we were it would push him away from us anyway. Hopefully if he does try and it hurts, he'll stop. He doesn't want to have surgery and won't want to run the risk of permanently damaging his hand and not getting back to active duty" said Hetty with a deep sigh. She thought for a moment before adding "When will he be able to swim again? If he could do that then I think it would help him mentally as well as physically."

"Not for a couple of days. I really want the external cut to heal before he does anything like that" answered Michael. He too thought for a moment before continuing. "I'll tell you what I can do, when I come back tomorrow with the blood tests, as long as they don't show anything untoward, I'll arrange to take Callen to get his hand scanned. Then I can make my decision as to whether allowing G to swim sooner rather than later would be more beneficial in the long run than focussing on healing the hand sufficiently."

Michael bent to hug Hetty. "Thank you Michael. I know you'll do what is best for him and if it's not what he wants to happen, we'll just have to manage the consequences as best we can. Oh why is he so stubborn?" she added.

It was a rhetorical question so Michael did not feel the need to answer. His smile was touched with sadness as he knew how much his godmother cared for Callen and how much pressure and blame she put on herself when he was hurt. Michael knew Hetty only wanted the best for Callen but when he defied her, his doctors and friends it only made matters worse. _Maybe this time, G will be sensible and follow my advice_ thought Michael as he got into his car and drove away, waving to Hetty as he did so.


	26. Chapter 26

_A/N: Thanks for your patience, which has been rewarded as I've decided to post an extra long chapter because I'd not updated the story for some time. I look forward to your reviews. Thanks to all who are still sticking with this story_.

Chapter 26

While Hetty said goodbye to Michael, Gibbs talked to Callen regarding everything that had been said to him. However Callen was sullen and unresponsive.

"G, I know it's a set back and you're disappointed and frustrated. Why don't you do some of the exercises?" said Gibbs sensing his friend's mood.

Callen felt down hearted and was reluctant to do anything. "What's the point?" he asked.

Gibbs knew how Callen felt. He himself had been in the same position many times. Both men were very much alike in that respect, neither man willing to accept help nor having the patience to wait for what they wanted which was to get well and back at work. However Gibbs knew he had to put his own reservations aside and remain positive to order to help Callen through this latest obstacle. "The point is the exercises will help your hand to heal as long as you don't overdo it" said Gibbs with all the patience he could muster. Callen was acting like a child and although Gibbs understood, it still irked him. "The sooner it heals, the sooner you can concentrate on getting fitter and back to active duty" he added.

Reluctantly Callen started to do the exercises that Michael had shown him but soon became frustrated when his hand started to hurt and he found it difficult to hold the dumbbell. Getting up Callen tossed the small dumbbell down on the chair and stormed off to his room. Gibbs shook his head in despair but decided the best course of action was to allow Callen his privacy and let him stew.

Hetty came back into the lounge and asked "Where's Mr Callen?"

Gibbs answered. "He's gone to his room. He's frustrated that he can't do the exercises. Certainly not as many as he wants to do anyway."

"I suppose he's trying too hard" assumed Hetty, shaking her head.

"You got it in one, Hetty" agreed Gibbs. "I know how he feels but he's not making it easy for anyone, least of all himself."

"Oh Jethro when did Mr Callen ever take the easy option?" asked Hetty with a sad smile on her face.

"Never as far as I can recall" answered Gibbs, his countenance matching that of Hetty.

"What are we doing to do with him?" said Hetty. It was a rhetorical question and she did not expect an answer. However Gibbs answered her.

"I'd like to give him a head slap!" said Gibbs exasperated.

Hetty looked at him in surprise, her mouth open not sure of what to say in response to his comment. Instead she laughed and was pleased when Gibbs followed suit.

"I'm letting him stew for a bit" said Gibbs by way of an explanation.

"Wise decision" agreed Hetty.

"I thought so" said Gibbs. "I'll go chat with him later on." Hetty nodded in acknowledgement.

After about ninety minutes Gibbs decided Callen had been alone for long enough and it was time to talk to him. He went to his room and tapped on the door but received no response.

"Callen?" said Gibbs as he tapped a little louder, still receiving no answer. Afraid that Callen had slipped out of the house without anyone noticing Gibbs quietly opened the door and peered into the gloom of the room. Gibbs was relieved to see a shape lying on the bed. "Callen, can I come in?" asked Gibbs and was rewarded by Callen turning his head towards his friend and grunted. "I'll take that as a yes" said Gibbs as he walked into the room and over to the bed.

Callen sat up and turned on the bedside lamp which illuminated the room in a soft glow. Gibbs sat down on the bottom of the bed and looked at his friend. "Feeling better?" he asked.

"Not really but I'll get over it" said Callen reluctant to engage in conversation.

Gibbs spotted the box of Get Well cards that Hetty had saved for Callen and he nodded in its direction. Callen picked up on his unspoken question and said "Be my guest."

Gibbs reached for the box and started to look through the cards and read the messages. He shook his head at the black humour on the card sent by the Five 0 team and then chuckled when he came across the card Abby had sent. Gibbs held it up and showed it Callen.

"I know" said Callen smiling. "She writes like she's speaks. She's a good friend."

"Yeah, she is" agreed Gibbs. "There're a lot of people who care about you G."

"Yeah I know" said Callen. "I don't deserve it, not when I act like that!"

"It's understandable" said Gibbs.

"Perhaps, but not acceptable" said Callen, dipping into the box and pulling out a handful of cards. The two friends spent the next half hour looking at cards and swapping them so the other could read them. Hetty then appeared at the door and watched the two men interact, neither of them apparently aware of her presence.

"Here you are" she said as she tapped on the open door. "Do you want supper? It's ready if you want to join me."

"Oh hi Hetty" said Callen, now in a better frame of mind. "We've been going through the Get Well cards and messages and I guess we lost track of the time."

"It's not a problem" answered Hetty. "I'll see you in a few minutes then?"

"We'll be right down" said Gibbs.

They ate supper and Gibbs helped Hetty clear away the dishes whilst Callen settled himself in the lounge. Afterwards Hetty and Gibbs joined him and they each had a single malt scotch whisky and talked for a while before retiring to bed. The next morning after breakfast Michael arrived with the results from the blood test. They were all sat around the kitchen table waiting anxiously for Michael to speak.

"Nothing abnormal has shown up on the blood tests. It's safe to say that there's nothing seriously wrong nor is there an underlying problem" said Michael and they all breathed a collective sigh of relief. "We know Callen's normal blood pressure is low because of his fitness. However, dehydration can sometimes cause a person's blood pressure to drop although dehydration doesn't automatically signal low blood pressure. Fever, vomiting, severe diarrhoea, strenuous exercise and of course not taking in enough fluids, can all lead to dehydration." Michael paused letting his companions absorb the information. Directing his next comment to Callen, Michael continued. "I think your collapse was caused by a combination of heat stroke, dehydration and over exertion. While I'll still investigate the medication and check the side effects, I just need you to take things easy and make sure you eat and drink regularly. Let me know if you still feel dizzy at any time and tell me if you experience pain in your fingers or hand."

"Thanks Mike" said Callen. "That's a load off my mind."

"One more thing" said Michael "I've arranged for you to have a scan on your hand this afternoon."

Callen was not pleased at the news of the scan. "I don't need it" he said vehemently. "I'll do exactly as you instruct and won't over do things."

"G I know you don't like hospitals but you don't have to stay" said Gibbs.

"Gibbs is right G" said Michael. "Come in and have the scan, it'll take an hour at most. I'll be on hand to look at the images as they're scanned and will be able to give you an immediate diagnosis. If I see what I expect then I can perhaps allow you to swim as well as doing those other exercises" he said hoping this would convince Callen. "However I will want to look at the images in closer detail afterwards."

Callen looked unconvinced. He knew what an MRI was. He had had enough of them in his life. He knew that MRI stood for magnetic resonance imaging and it scanned using strong magnets to create pictures of the body or in his particular case, the hand which would include the wrist, fingers, and the surrounding muscles and other tissues. He looked around at those in the room and only saw concern in their faces and recognised their desire to do what was best for him.

"I won't be admitted?" asked Callen.

"No. I promise you'll come in, have the scan and go home again" answered Michael. "You can't drive so someone will have to bring you of course. They can stay with you but they won't be allowed in the room whilst you're having the scan." Michael looked at Callen and could see the turmoil his mind was in. He knew Callen hated to be pressurised into doing something he did not want to do. Michael added "Look, I only want what's best for you G. We all do." Michael let his words sink in before continuing. "The scan's arranged for 3pm and you need to be there 15 minutes before hand. I hope to see you there but if not, it's no big deal. The decision's entirely yours."

"All I can promise is that I'll think about it" said Callen. Michael nodded but Callen knew he was disappointed as was Hetty and Gibbs.

"That's all I ask G" said Michael as he prepared to leave. "I hope to see you this afternoon" he added.

When Hetty returned from saying goodbye to her godson, Callen could see from her demeanour that she was not best pleased.

"You may as well spit it out, Hetty, before you choke on it" said Callen a little callously.

"Mmm, I thought I'd raised you a little better than that, Mr Callen" she said, with disapproval in her voice.

"Hetty! I'm a grown man. Don't I have the right to make my own decisions?" he asked his voice thick with emotion. He never liked Hetty being upset with him.

Hetty snorted. "Well stop acting like a spoilt brat!" she said harshly. "Michael's gone way beyond what anyone's asked of him and I thought you'd at least have the decency to be more appreciative of his efforts on your behalf. I no longer care what you decide. Do what you want, Mr Callen, you always do!" and she turned and stormed out of the room before anyone noticed the tears that had began to fill her eyes.

Callen sighed and dropped his head. He knew he was being an ass. He turned and looked at Gibbs who had remained quiet throughout the exchange but he sensed Gibbs' disapproval. "I suppose you agree with Hetty?" he asked, sure of the response.

Gibbs looked at him and tilted his head to one side in his characteristic way and a frown formed on his brow. "You think?" he answered every bit as harshly as Hetty's retort.

"Thought so" said Callen. "I guess I'd better go and apologise to Hetty."

"Yeah, good luck with that" laughed Gibbs although there was no humour in his voice.

Callen went to look for Hetty and found her in the kitchen. She had her back to him when he entered and she wiped her eyes when she him approach. It was a movement that Callen did not miss and it only made him feel worse.

"Hetty, I'm sorry for my behaviour" he said approaching her, hesitantly.

"I'm not interested in your platitudes Mr Callen" she said harshly. "Do what you see fit. I won't try to persuade you with my wishes. You obviously know what's best for you."

Callen was stung by her words but knew he deserved them. His initial reaction was to turn tail and erect the barrier that only Hetty was ever able to dismantle. After a moment's hesitation, Callen decided to stay and face his accuser. He walked slowly across the kitchen until he was within touching distance of his mentor. His head was bowed and he remained silent, mulling over in his mind what to say.

Finally he spoke. "I deserved that" he said in a quiet voice.

"Yes you did" answered Hetty still not facing him.

The silence hung between them so thick that it could be cut with a knife. Finally Callen spoke and what Hetty heard broke her heart anew. "I'm scared" muttered Callen in a voice so quiet but also full of emotion. "I'm scared at what the scan will reveal. What if I can never be a field agent again? I don't think I could take that."

Hetty turned to look at her boy, who stood dejected with his head bowed looking at the floor. Hetty took a step towards him, reached out and clasped his uninjured hand although he did not react. "Mr Callen, look at me" she said softly. Still he did not react. Hetty squeezed his hand gently and begged "Please, son, won't you look at me?"

Slowly Callen lifted his eyes so that he could see her and Hetty saw his eyes bright with unshed tears. "Come here" she said gently as she gave a tug on his hand.

Callen moved closer as instructed and Hetty reached up with her other hand and stroked the side of his face before putting her hand behind his head and pulling him gently towards her. She stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the forehead, an action which opened the floodgates of his tears. Pulling him into an embrace, Callen knelt down in front of her and let Hetty hug him.

"I'm sorry" he sobbed. "I never meant to upset you" he continued between sobs, his voice full of emotion.

"Sshh" she soothed. "It doesn't matter. Everything's going to be fine."

As Hetty held Callen and gently rocked him in an effort to give him comfort, she thought about how her boy always protected himself from life's horrors, pain and disappointment by compartmentalising the experiences and feelings behind a barrier, which no-one could penetrate. This ability made him perfect for the undercover work but made him appear callous and cold hearted to those who did not know him. She was privileged to know the true nature of the man in front of her and she knew him to be thoughtful, caring and generous especially to those he thought of as family and to those who could not protect themselves. She knew how deeply he felt things and how effected he was by them. Finally his tears subsided and Callen tried to pull away from Hetty's embrace, ashamed by his display of emotion and weakness. Hetty was not having any of it.

"Please don't be embarrassed" she said quietly, still holding him but at arms' length. She smiled lovingly at him and continued. "I'm proud of you for letting your feelings show, for finally allowing those cracks in your armour to break. I certainly don't think any less of you, my dear." Callen was not convinced. "Look, you've been through such a lot in a short time and now you've had this latest set backup. You're bound to be worried and upset. It's okay." Hetty looked him straight in the eyes. "It's only natural and it's certainly not a weakness so don't ever think it is." She put her small hand under Callen's chin and tilted his head upwards. She smiled at him warmly again. "Now do I get to see that wonderful smile of yours?" she asked.

Callen looked into Hetty's face which was expectant with a hint of encouragement and he could not help himself. He broke into a grin and this time his eyes twinkled with mirth rather than tears.

"That's better" said Hetty beaming as well.

"Y'know I've just broken Gibbs' rule # 6" said Callen. Hetty raised an eyebrow and he elaborated. "Never apologise, it's a sign of weakness."

"Whilst I think most of Jethro's rules are admirable, I've got to disagree with that one" said Hetty. "In my opinion it shows great strength to admit you're wrong."

Callen smiled at her and accepted a cup of tea that Hetty insisted she make for him. They sat in silence sipping the tea and Callen could feel its restorative features working their magic. Finally he spoke.

"Hetty, I've decided to keep the appointment. Will you come with me please?" he asked.

"Of course. It'll be my pleasure" Hetty answered. "Are you positive you want to do this?" she asked.

"Yeah" Callen said. "As you said Michael has done a lot for me and has made special arrangements for me to have the scan." He paused before continuing. "If I have the scan, I'll know categorically what damage I've done to my hand. If it's bad, then the worst scenario is that Mike should be able to fix it with surgery, right?"

"I trust it won't come to that Mr Callen" said Hetty. "Positive thinking, my boy."

Callen smiled. "Yeah, positive thinking" he echoed.

Callen told Gibbs that he had decided to keep the hospital appointment and that he had asked Hetty to drive him. If Gibbs was disappointed that Callen had chosen Hetty to take him, he did not show it.

"That's good G. You've made the right decision" Gibbs said. "I guess you've patched things up with Hetty too?"

"Yeah we're good" said Callen.

Later on Hetty chivvied Callen along. "If we don't leave now, we'll hit the traffic and will be late for the appointment" she said.

"I'm coming Hetty" said Callen as he looked towards Gibbs and raised his eyes.

"Have fun" said Gibbs as Callen hurried after Hetty.

"Yeah right!" said Callen in response and Gibbs laughed.

At the hospital, Hetty parked up and she and Callen made their way to Imaging Department where they found Michael waiting for them. He smiled as they approached. "I'm glad to see you G" said Michael as he shook Callen's left hand in welcome.

"Yeah, well" started Callen a little embarrassed. "Let's just say I saw the light."

Hetty smiled and patted Callen's arm in support and looked at Michael. "Oh I played no part in it, Michael" she said earnestly. "It was totally Mr Callen's decision."

Michael looked between Hetty and Callen and caught the look that passed between them but wisely decided not to say anything. "I'm just glad you came" he said. "Let's get started, shall we?" and Callen nodded.

Michael went through the preliminaries with Callen and then led him to the room where the MRI equipment was housed. "Hetty, if you can wait here please" said Michael indicating a waiting room. She nodded and took a seat as Michael led Callen into the room. Callen turned his head towards Hetty, who nodded her encouragement to him before he disappeared behind the closed doors.

Callen was given a set of scrubs to wear and he went into the changing room. When he came out Michael was waiting for him and walk him over to the MRI machine. It was not as Callen expected for it did not have a table to lie on or the conventional claustrophobic tunnel that he had encountered before. "Hey this is new" he said.

"Yes, we've had it a few months now. It's an open upright MRI scanner and it's better for patients who are claustrophobic" answered Michael. "You need to sit here" indicating a seat within the MRI machine, and Callen did as he was asked. Michael handed Callen some ear plugs which he inserted and then gave him an emergency buzzer and explained that he should use it immediately to indicate to the MRI technologist that he was experiencing difficulties and the scan could be halted. Michael then indicated the TV screen that he could watch whilst the scan was being done. Callen was impressed.

Michael then extracted what Callen could only describe as a mini MRI tunnel which Michael placed in front of Callen and it was held against the wall by suction pads. Once it was plugged into the machine Michael indicated that Callen should place his hand in it, having previously had all the bandages removed.

"You comfortable?" asked Michael.

"Yeah" answered Callen.

"Okay. I'll be in the next room with the MRI Technologist and we can communicate with you" said Michael and Callen nodded. "Whilst this is nowhere near as bad as the closed MRI, if you feel uncomfortable, use the buzzer. Understand?"

Callen nodded and grinned, causing Michael to shake his head as he left Callen and went to sit by the MRI Technologist.

"Okay, Callen. Keep still. We're starting scanning" said Michael as the machine started.

In the adjacent room Michael watched the computer screen intently as each slice of the image of Callen's hand appeared. The MRI Technologist pointed out the area where the shard of glass had touched the tendons. Michael nodded and requested a different view, which was immediately visible. Michael let out a sigh of relief as he scrutinised the images. When the procedure was finished, Michael went back into the room and removed the 'mini MRI tunnel' so that Callen could get out.

"Okay?" asked Michael.

"Yeah" said Callen. "Much better than the conventional scanner, I must say. What's the verdict, Mike?" asked Callen.

"Looks good" answered Michael. "Get changed and we can go and tell Hetty. I'm sure she's worried." Callen nodded and went into the changing room and put on his own clothes.

He came out and found Michael with Hetty. "Let's go to my office" Michael said. "It's more private and I need to bandage your hand again."

Once in Michael's office, Hetty and Callen sat down whilst Michael asked a nurse to get him the supplies he needed to tend to Callen's hand.

Michael could see that Hetty was anxious so without preamble he said "I'm pleased to say that the MRI did not show any irreparable damage to the tendons or ligaments." Hetty let out a sigh of relief and took hold of Callen's good hand and squeezed. Callen looked at her and smiled.

"As you know, the MRI procedure uses a strong magnet linked to a computer to create a picture of the internal structures in black and white and shades of gray. Because an MRI shows the soft tissues as well as the bones, it is particularly useful for diagnosing injuries to the cartilage, tendons and ligaments, as well as areas of swelling" he explained. "The wound where the shard of glass pierced the tendon is clearly visible. Whilst it has damaged the tendon, it hasn't severed it which is what I feared. Whilst that scenario wouldn't be a disaster, it would've meant surgery. I can categorically say that this will heal perfectly well."

Michael could see the relief etched on Callen's face which was mirrored on Hetty's as well. He loved his godmother and he knew how much Callen meant to her, not just as an agent but as a son she never had. Michael liked Callen very much as well and probably considered him a close friend if not a brother. To be able to help them and to bring them good news made his job worthwhile.

"Let's get that hand bandaged" said Michael.

"When do you think I can swim again, Mike?" asked Callen as Michael cleansed the wound before applying a new gauze patch and a bandage. "The exercises you gave me are good but I can only do a few before the hand starts aching" he explained.

Michael looked into Callen's blue eyes which showed uncertainty. Michael said "As your hand improves you'll be able to do more of the exercises."

"I appreciate that" answered Callen "but in the meantime my overall fitness suffers."

Weighing up the pros and cons in his mind, Michael continued. "I'd really want the cut to heal completely before you start swimming again. It would be easy to get it infected otherwise." Seeing the disappointment flash across Callen's face before he quickly controlled his features, Michael added "However I understand what you're saying about your overall fitness suffering and how it's important for you to maintain it. I think I've got an idea that would satisfy both our needs." Callen looked at Michael with hope in his eyes. "If you can wear a waterproof covering, like a latex glove for example, over the bandage, then I'll allow you to swim."

Callen broke into a grin and said "Thanks Mike. I can do that."

"If the hand hurts at all, however slightly, you must stop. Don't try to work through the pain" ordered Michael. "It may just be an indication that something is wrong."

"I promise" said Callen.

"Okay then" said Michael. "We've got a deal. Now get out of here" he added jokingly.

Callen used his left hand to shake Michael's hand. "I won't let you down" added Callen as he turned to go.

Hetty hugged Michael and said "Thank you Michael for all you've done especially allowing him to swim. It means a lot to him."

"Yeah I know but I mean what I said Hetty" said Michael. "He mustn't overdo any of the exercises and must stop swimming immediately if his hand hurts."

"I'll make sure he does" said Hetty "as no doubt will Mr Gibbs."

"Phone me if you need me otherwise I'll come out again in a few days to see how Callen's getting on" said Michael. "I'll phone you when I've made a decision about the medication especially if I need to amend the dosage."

Hetty turned and left Michael's office and went to find Callen who was waiting by the car. He beamed at her when she approached. "I take it that you're happy with the result?" she asked.

"Yeah, I am" he said. "And don't worry, I'll do everything Mike has said. I just want to get on with getting back to normal and hopefully back to work at some stage."

"Get in Mr Callen, let's get you home" said Hetty as Callen climbed in the passenger seat and took out his phone to tell Gibbs the news.

"Couldn't that wait until you got home?" asked Hetty.

"I'm afraid not, Hetty" said Callen grinning like the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland.

 _A/N: Description of the Open Upright MRI scanner was from ComfortableMRI (Hand/Wrist) at CDA Spine as shown on YouTube_


	27. Chapter 27

A/N: _Thanks to all you wonderful people who are still supporting and reviewing this story. It means a lot to me._

Chapter 27

"What did Jethro say?" asked Hetty as Callen disconnected his call. He was grinning.

"He never says much but he's pleased for me" answered Callen turning to look at his diminutive boss and mentor. "He said it'll make his job easier" joked Callen.

"And mine, son" Hetty added, smiling

"Hetty?" said Callen

"Yes?" answered Hetty.

"Can we stop by Ops on the way home please? I'd like to see everyone" he asked

"Especially Sam?" surmised Hetty.

"Yeah, he doesn't know about the hand yet. Y'know how he gets if he feels I'm keeping anything from him" explained Callen.

"Indeed. I know exactly how he feels" answered Hetty, with a twinkle in her eye.

Callen shot her a look and Hetty took her eyes off the road for a second to look at her boy. When Callen saw her smile, he broke into his characteristic lopsided grin. "Yeah I guess you do" he admitted.

Callen was relieved when Hetty changed direction and he knew she was heading towards the Mission. When they reached their destination, Hetty pulled into her allotted parking space and turned off the engine. Callen reached over with his left hand and opened the door and got out. He walked round the car and met Hetty at the entrance. She opened the door and went inside but Callen did not follow her. When she realised he was not behind her, Hetty went back to the door and saw him just standing outside.

"Is anything wrong son?" she asked a little worried as she went out to him and clasped his good hand.

"No, not really" he said. "It's just that I've not been here since I left to go back undercover." His voice waivered slightly as the emotion of the entire experience that almost killed him washed over him.

"You don't have to do this" said Hetty gently. Callen looked down at her and smiled but it was tinged with sadness.

"Yeah I do Hetty" he said. "I know it'll be a long time before I'm back at work but I've got to face my demons. I think seeing the guys and stepping inside the Mission will help. I just need a minute."

Hetty stayed with Callen to provide support. She sensed the moment that he made his decision to enter and she asked "Are you ready?"

Taking a deep breath, Callen answered "Let's do it" as he stepped forward and opened the door for his boss and mentor and he followed her into the dim hall way that lead into his place of work.

Although it was late in the afternoon, there were still plenty of people around and the hustle and bustle nearly overwhelmed him. Again Hetty sensed his discomfort and gently took his hand and gave it a squeeze. Callen looked down at her and smiled, mouthing "Thank you".

"Let's go to my office and I'll make you a tea" she said. Callen nodded and as he walked with her he glanced over to the bullpen where his team mates were sat, working and joking.

At that moment, Kensi looked up and saw him. "Hey Callen!" she cried in joy as she jumped up and went over to him, giving him a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek. "What've you done to your hand?" she asked her voice full of concern.

Before Callen had a chance to answer, Hetty smiled in encouragement and said "I'll be in my office when you're ready for the tea."

Callen nodded and was practically dragged to the bullpen by Kensi where the others were waiting. Deeks jumped up and shoulder hugged his team leader and Sam gave his friend a heartfelt hug, which left Callen a little embarrassed. Eric and Nell appeared on the stairs and when they saw Callen, rushed down and joined the throng. Sam insisted that Callen sit down and they ushered him to the couch where they all found seats around him.

"Tell me what you've done" said Sam indicating Callen's bandaged hand.

"I collapsed the other night and cut it on some glass. It's nothing" said Callen trying to make light of it.

Sam was not having any of it. "Don't give me any of your bs, G. If you don't tell me, I'm sure Hetty will" Sam threatened.

Callen sighed deeply and looked at the expectant and worried faces of his friends. "The glass pierced the tendon." There were gasps and Callen could see the concern in their eyes especially Sam's. "I've just come from having a MRI scan. Mike, Hetty's godson who's been treating me arranged it and he's pleased with the results. It doesn't need surgery and it'll heal perfectly well."

There were mutterings of relief from the team but Sam eyed Callen suspiciously. "If you don't believe me Sam, ask Hetty" said Callen a little annoyed at his friend's lack of trust.

"Ask me what, Mr Callen, Mr Hanna?" asked Hetty, appearing suddenly and silently causing everyone to jump. _How does she do that?_ thought Callen.

"Sam doesn't believe me when I said the hand will heal perfectly" said Callen, his annoyance showing in his voice.

"Well going by your history of playing injuries down Mr Callen, I can understand Mr Hanna's scepticism" said Hetty and received a look from Callen. "However on this occasion, Mr Hanna, he **is** telling you the truth. Michael has confirmed that he's seen nothing on the scan that would suggest anything to the contrary."

Sam shot Callen a look and said "Hey man, I'm sorry I doubted you but you do have a tendency to make light of your injuries." Callen grinned in acceptance to Sam's statement and his apology.

"Mr Callen, are you ready for your cup of tea?" asked Hetty giving her boy an excuse to escape from all the attention even though she was secretly pleased to see him joining in the banter.

"Yeah, I'll be over in a minute" he answered thankful for her intervention. "It's been good to see you guys. I'll catch you before I go" he said as he prepared to join Hetty.

Eric shoulder hugged him. "We'll be up in Ops, so unless you come up, we won't see you" said Eric.

"It's good to see you Callen. You're looking good" said Nell, giving him a hug and a kiss.

"Better than last time you saw me" he joked referring to the time she visited him in the hospital.

"Eh yeah" she answered, not quite sure what to say in response to his gallows humour.

"It's okay Nell. I'm joking. I'm good, really" Callen added.

She smiled and said "See you later I hope" as she hurried to catch up with Eric.

Sam shook his head and smiled. "You shouldn't tease her like that, G. Y'know she's new to all this field agent and black humour stuff." Callen just grinned.

"Don't be a stranger" said Deeks. "It's good to see you man."

"You too" said Callen as he shoulder hugged Deeks. "You take care of my girl while I'm away" added Callen nodding his head towards Kensi.

"Really? Your girl?" stammered Deeks. "You're talking about my partner, my Kensilina."

"Yeah I know, surfer boy, but I've known her longer than you!" said Callen, laughing at Deeks' obvious discomfort.

"Don't pay any attention to him Deeks" said Kensi laughing as she grabbed Callen and hugged him fiercely. "You're a bad man, G Callen for teasing him like that" she added as she gave him a kiss.

"Yeah I know" said Callen "but it's fun." Kensi laughed as she released Callen and went to snuggle up to her boyfriend, who was still flabbergasted by the exchange.

Sam was grinning too and hugged Callen fiercely. "You make sure you don't overdo things G" said Sam. "I want you back here as soon as possible."

"Yes mom" answered Callen.

"I'm serious man" said Sam, releasing his friend.

Callen looked Sam in the eyes and said "I know you are. I'll behave I promise. Give my love to Michelle and the kids. Catch you later" and he turned to join Hetty.

"I thought you could do with being rescued" said Hetty as Callen joined her and sat in the seat opposite her desk. "I know how you hate being the centre of attention" she added.

"Thanks. It did get a little uncomfortable" he said.

"They're worried about you and were pleased to see you" said Hetty passing him a cup of tea which he took gratefully.

"I know" he admitted. "I just wish they wouldn't show it quite so enthusiastically."

Hetty smiled and shook her head. While he had made great progress since she first took him in all those years ago, she knew he still had difficulty in accepting that people genuinely cared for him and loved him. She also knew that being the target of all those people, albeit his work colleagues and friends, openly displaying their feelings for him still made him uneasy. They sat and chatted quietly whilst drinking their tea, Callen occasionally turning his head to the bullpen when the volume of laughter rose.

"Don't be disheartened. You'll be back in the fray before you know it" said Hetty, a little concerned that he still looked so vulnerable and lost.

Callen turned and smiled sadly at her. "I know, it's just that …" His voice tailed off as he appeared to struggle with his emotions. "It's just that I'm not there to keep them safe, to bring them home after a case."

Hetty thought _There you go again, thinking of others rather than yourself_ but instead she spoke out loud "You will, sooner than you think" said Hetty encouragingly. "Besides they're coping well without you but they want you back too." Inwardly she knew that as a team they were struggling without him. They all understood and accepted the dangers of their chosen line of work but what had happened to Callen had brought it home to them. This was not the first time nor would it be the last that one of the team had almost lost their life in the fight against evil. Hetty also knew that however good they were as individuals, Callen was the glue that bound them together and made them great.

"Are you ready to go yet?" asked Hetty, glancing at her watch.

"Yeah, I just need to pick up some latex gloves" said Callen. "So I can swim" he added obviously excited at the prospect.

"I've already taken the liberty of getting a box for you" said Hetty indicating the box on her desk, which he had not seen until then. "Extra large should be big enough. After all you don't want it to be too tight" she added.

Callen smiled at her. "What would I do without you?" he said giving her a hug.

"Oh I'm sure you'd muddle through" she answered, blushing a little.

As Callen turned round to go over and say goodbye to his team, he came face to face with Granger. Hetty saw him tense and hurriedly walked over to be by his side. Granger had been the one to insist that Callen go back undercover even though they thought he might have been compromised. She did not know whether Callen blamed Granger for what happened to him but she did know that they sometimes did not see eye to eye. She not been happy with Granger's decision once she was aware of it and originally laid the blame for Callen's condition squarely at his feet However she had also been in the game long enough to know that the mission takes priority and unfortunately sh*t happens.

Looking a little uncomfortable himself, Granger stopped in front of Callen. "Agent Callen, it's good to see you up and about" he said holding out his hand. There was a little moment of tension before Callen smiled and shook Granger's hand with his left hand, indicating the bandage on his right. Hetty could see the team watching from the bullpen, anticipating a problem.

"Yeah, I'm getting there" said Callen. "Just a little set back. I just popped in with Hetty to see everyone but we're going now."

"Well it's good to see you. Let me know if you need anything" Granger said.

"Thanks" said Callen. As he began to walk over to the bullpen, he stopped and turned his head back towards Granger. "Granger?"

"Yeah Callen?" Granger replied.

"What you said, I appreciate it" said Callen with his characteristic smirk and a smile twitched on Granger's lips as he nodded his acknowledgement.

"Henrietta" said Granger as he turned to look at the Operations Manager.

"Owen" said Hetty in acknowledgement. "That went well considering" she added.

Granger broke into a smile, what he called his happy face and said "It did. Henrietta, I meant what I said. If he needs anything, you only have to ask."

"Thank you Owen" she answered. "It means a lot to me" she added as she went to join Callen who was saying his farewells to his team. Hetty waved to them as Callen joined her and they walked out of the Mission to the car.

She unlocked the car and Callen opened the door for her before trotting round to get into the passenger seat.

"Thank you my dear" she said. "Have you got your seat belt on?" she asked.

"Yeah" he answered showing her.

"Good. Then let's go home. Jethro will start wonder where we've got to" she said. As she manoeuvred the car out of the parking lot onto the highway, she asked "I don't suppose you're hungry?"

"Actually I'm starving" Callen said. "What are we going to eat?" and they drove home discussing their culinary options.


	28. Chapter 28

_A/N: Apologies for the delay in updating this story. I got a little stuck but then one of my other stories took on a life of its own and I found myself concentrating on that. I'm back to this one and hope it doesn't disappoint. Please read and review as I look forward to hearing what you think. Happy New Year to you all._

Chapter 28

On the drive home Hetty was pleased to see that Callen remained in a very good mood. Obviously the prognosis given to him by Michael had eased his fears about permanent damage to his hand. However it was the trip to the Mission to see his team mates that had much to do with his good humour. She knew that Callen missed his friends and colleagues at work as well as the focus and danger of the work itself. His original injuries were debilitating but damaging his hand only set back his recovery further. Callen was easily bored and a bored Callen was very dangerous. She fervently hoped that her boy could get himself back on track and he would have no further upsets.

On arrival at Dovecote, Callen got out of the car whilst Hetty drove round to the garage. Inside, Callen found Gibbs in the kitchen busily preparing a meal for them all.

"I thought you'd be hungry" said Gibbs.

"Yeah I am" answered Callen. "What you doing for us?"

"Steak and French fries" stated Gibbs. "The fries are nearly ready but I had to wait till you got home before I put the steaks on. Oh, I've done some salad too in case Hetty wants something a bit healthier" added Gibbs with a chuckle.

"And why, may I ask would you think that steak and French fries would not meet with my approval, Jethro?" asked Hetty as she suddenly appeared in the kitchen, startling both men.

Turning to Callen Gibbs said "Does she always do that?"

"Yep" answered Callen smirking and Hetty chuckled at their response to her silent entrance. Her ability to move stealthily and to appear suddenly had saved her life on numerous occasions over the years. In her current job, it proved useful to see what her team were plotting especially if they knew their plan would not meet with her approval. It had therefore earned her the nickname of the 'tiny ninja'. Whether her team were aware that she knew what they called her behind her back, she did not know, although she believed Callen had an idea. In reality she was amused and quite pleased by the label, but she would never let them know it.

"Gentlemen, do you wish me to lay the table for you?" she asked. Gibbs nodded and as Callen went to help, Hetty countered "No, G it's been a long day for you. Just relax. I'm quite capable of doing this especially as Jethro is doing the cooking." Callen did as he was told and watched the woman who had taken him in all those years ago, busy herself getting plates and cutlery ready and laying them on the kitchen table. "I assume you're happy to eat in here?" she asked.

"Yeah, great" answered Callen.

"Fine by me" said Gibbs, putting the steaks on the griddle. In no time they were ready and Gibbs loaded the plates with steak and fries and placed them on the table in front of Hetty and Callen before sitting down with his own meal. Hetty helped herself to some salad and was pleasantly surprised when Callen did the same.

Callen cut a piece of steak and put it in his mouth. "Mmmm this is delicious Gibbs" he said appreciatively. "Just how I like it!"

"It's cooked to perfection" said Hetty. "Thank you Jethro. It was kind of you to go to all this trouble."

Gibbs shrugged, a little embarrassed by the praise, and said "It's no trouble. I had time on my hands waiting for you to come back. I guessed G would be hungry so I thought I'd cook for you to save you having to do it after a day away. I'm used to doing my steaks on an open fire so I wasn't quite sure how they'd turn out done on the stove" he added.

During their meal Callen told Gibbs everything that happened at hospital and enthused about the upright scanner. Gibbs was delighted by his friend's mood and pleased to hear that there was no permanent damage to the hand although Callen had already phoned to tell him. He did not dare imagine what it would do to his friend if there had been. A life of an agent was all he knew and he could not imagine him doing any mundane job.

Hetty refused to let Gibbs or Callen clear up after the meal. She busied herself in the kitchen and then came to join them in the lounge. Over drinks Callen recounted his visit to the office. Hetty was pleased that Callen was so animated and hoped he had turned a corner in his recovery although she knew he had a long way to go before he was passed fit to be active in the field.

After a pleasant evening, the trio retired to their respective rooms. The next morning Hetty and Gibbs met in the kitchen but Callen was nowhere to be seen. Gibbs checked his bedroom but he was not there.

"Oh dear, he seemed so happy yesterday" said Hetty. "I truly thought he'd turned the corner and was willing to accept that everything was alright but that it'd take a long time. Where can he be?" said Hetty, starting to worry about him.

"I think I knew where he is" said Gibbs. "Let me go and check." He left the kitchen and went outside, making his way over to the pool. Gibbs was relieved when he saw Callen swimming up and down, doing a powerful front crawl. Not wanting to disturb Callen or to make him feel that they did not trust him, Gibbs returned to the kitchen and informed Hetty.

"I'm so relieved" she said. "He was anxious to swim as soon as we came home yesterday but I wouldn't let him. I thought he should wait as it'd been long and emotional day for him and of course you'd cooked for us."

"He's not one for patience" laughed Gibbs.

Hetty chuckled. "Indeed he isn't" she agreed.

Shortly Callen entered the kitchen with a towel wrapped round his shoulders. Hetty looked over towards him and scowled.

"Please don't drip on my kitchen floor" scolded Hetty.

"Sorry" he said as he stepped outside again and dried himself off a bit better and put on sweat pants and a t shirt before entering the kitchen again.

"Couldn't you have waited?" asked Gibbs smiling knowing full well the answer.

"No" Callen responded with a smirk. "I was so annoyed with myself for falling and injuring my hand and frustrated about setting myself back with my recovery. Then discovering I was not able to do many of the hand exercises, I needed to get back in the pool as soon as Mike gave the all clear yesterday" added Callen grinning, his eyes twinkling with mirth.

"Did you cover your hand?" asked Hetty, a little concerned that in his enthusiasm Callen would have forgotten Michael's instructions.

"Yep" Callen replied, holding up his hand to show her because he was still wearing the latex glove. "In fact can you take it off for me please?" he asked holding out his hand to Hetty, who stepped forward and gently removed it.

"There you go, my dear" said Hetty, full of love and pride for her boy. "Are you ready for some breakfast?" she asked.

"Yeah, please" he answered. "I've really worked up an appetite."

"Come on then" Hetty said. "Take a seat. What do you both want? I can do eggs or pancakes or both if you want" she added knowing how much the two men could eat.

"Do you have bacon?" asked Callen.

"You know I do" answered Hetty.

"Well" said Callen beaming at Hetty, with his blue eyes smiling and a smile that would melt the coldest heart "can I have eggs, bacon and hash browns please?"

Hetty looked at him fondly knowing she could deny him nothing when he smiled at her like that and answered "I think we could rustle that up for you. Jethro, does that work for you?"

"Great" answered Gibbs. "Do you need any help?"

"No, thank you but you could lay the table before you go and relax with Callen. I'll call you when it's ready" she answered.

Hetty called the men into the kitchen when the food was ready and the trio ate their breakfast and chatted amicably. As they were finishing, they heard the front door open and shut and footsteps approach. Michael entered the kitchen.

"Michael, what brings you here so early" asked Hetty. "Do you want breakfast?"

"No thanks, I've already eaten but I'll have some coffee" answered Michael. Hetty got up and got another cup before pouring coffee into it and handed it to her godson. "Thanks" he said as he took it from her. "Please excuse the intrusion and for letting myself in." Hetty waved a hand as if to dismiss his arrival as an intrusion. "Hey, don't look so worried G" Michael said seeing the look on Callen's face. "I've finally got the results and analysis of your medications and I thought you'd like to know that a side effect of one of them is dizziness. I'm going to swap it out for another one, and see how you get on with the new one. I'm hoping that I'll be able to reduce your meds in a day or two anyway."

Callen visibly relaxed and let out a sigh of relief. "That's good to hear" he said. "So there was nothing physical that caused me to pass out?" he asked.

"Not entirely" said Michael. "As I said at the time, you were dehydrated and might have had a touch of heat stroke which could have contributed to it but no, there's nothing physically wrong with you."

Hetty and Gibbs looked at one another, both pleased with the news Michael had brought and knew it would put Callen's mind at rest as well. Anything positive about his situation would only be beneficial to his well being and his recovery.

Hetty said "He's been swimming already this morning."

Callen glanced at her and rolled his eyes as if she had told on him. "Mike did give me the go ahead" he said in his defence.

Michael chuckled at the interaction between Hetty and Callen. "How did it go? Any pain?" asked Michael.

"It was good. The hand's a little stiff and a bit sore now but there's no pain whatsoever" answered Callen truthfully. "And I covered it as you wanted" Callen added.

"That's good. Don't overdo it though. You'll only set yourself back again" said Michael.

"I won't" said Callen. "Besides I've got these two watching me like hawks. Fat chance of being able to do anything without them knowing" he added smirking.

"Indeed, my dear" said Hetty. "We both know what you're capable of so we'll be keeping a very close eye on you!"

Callen rolled his eyes and Hetty joined in with Michael and Gibbs' laughter. Callen was soon laughing with them. He was emotionally in a good place and felt blessed that he had these people who cared enough about him to want to help him. At the back of his mind, Callen wondered what he had done to deserve it and was afraid that it would be taken away from him. In truth, he was never particularly comfortable relying on others, finding it better to trust only one person, himself.


	29. Chapter 29

_A/N: Thank you to all who are still following this story and I'm sorry you've had to wait so long for this chapter. I got caught up on I Should Have Waited which demanded a lot of my time – you know how it goes. Also I apologise in advance as it's a bit of non-entity as far as chapters go. I'll do better next time. Please read and review as I love to know what you're thinking._

Chapter 29

The next few days followed a similar routine. Callen would arise early and swim for about thirty minutes before breakfast. After breakfast, he would do as many of the hand exercises he could without his hand hurting. Under the watchful eye of Gibbs or Hetty, he would go on the treadmill to walk for an hour as he had not yet been cleared to run. He would relax before lunch and after a short break, would swim for an hour. He would then do other exercises as prescribed by his physiotherapist before relaxing for the evening.

One day exercising under Gibbs' watchful eye when his phone rang. "Gibbs" he said as he answered the phone.

"Hey Gibbs, why haven't you called?" asked Abby getting straight to the point.

"Abby? What's up?" asked Gibbs, a little worried.

"Nothing's up" replied Abby.

"It's lovely to hear from you but if nothing's wrong then why are you calling?" asked Gibbs.

"I haven't heard from you since you arrived in LA. We were worried" said Abby. "Okay, I was the one who was worried. The others said you'd be fine."

"Well they're right. I'm good" Gibbs replied. "It's been a bit busy here since I arrived. How're things there?"

"Not too bad, the usual" Abby answered. "How's Callen? Can I speak to him?" Her voice was bubbling with excitement.

"He's good but he's in the pool" said Gibbs.

Callen had heard Gibbs talking and stopped swimming. Resting his arms on the edge of the pool Callen looked quizzically at Gibbs.

"It's Abby. She wants to talk to you" said Gibbs.

"Okay. Tell her to hold on. I'll be right there" said Callen as he hoisted himself out of the pool, which earned him a scornful look from Gibbs. Callen shrugged. "I'm good Gibbs. Quit worrying" said Callen.

"He's getting out of the pool" Gibbs said to Abby and handed the phone to Callen. In a whisper Gibbs said to Callen "I'll quit worrying when you stop pulling stunts like that!"

"Yes Mom" said Callen with a smirk and Gibbs shook his head. "Hey Abby, how's my favourite forensic scientist?" asked Callen by way of a greeting.

"I'm good, very Special Agent in Charge G. Callen" answered Abby. "How are you doing?"

"I'm getting there" Callen answered. There was a pause and Callen sensed there was something Abby was not saying. "Abs, what's up?" he asked concern evident in his voice.

"You tell me Callen" was all Abby said with a hint of anger in her voice.

"What do you mean?" asked Callen feeling a little confused by Abby's question and the way her mood changed so quickly. "I really don't know what you're on about Abs" Called added.

"You can't fool me G Callen" said Abby. "I know everything."

Gibbs was frowning at the one sided conversation that he could hear and the look of confusion on his friend's face. Callen said "Oh you're talking about my hand aren't you?" When Abby indicated that was indeed what she was referring to Callen said "How the hell did you find out?" Then he answered his own question. "Eric! He must have told you."

"Yes and I'm glad he did" said Abby. "You obviously weren't going to tell me" added Abby now with more than a hint of hurt in her voice.

"That's because it's no big deal Abs" said Callen trying to appease his friend. Callen glanced at Gibbs who was laughing at Callen's discomfort, being on the end of one of Abby's indignant tirades. Callen mouthed to Gibbs "That's not helping y'know" and Gibbs just smirked and shrugged.

"How can you say that Callen?" asked Abby. "You cut your hand with glass and it severed the tendons."

"Well I didn't do it on purpose, it was an accident" said Callen by way of explanation "and they weren't severed, just pierced."

"Don't get smart with me" said Abby and then added. "I worry about you. I don't like the people I care about hurt."

"I know you don't Abs" said Callen, touched that Abby cared for him and was worried about his well being. "I'm fine, really. If it was serious I would've told you."

"Well, okay" muttered Abby. "As long as you're sure the injury isn't too bad" she added somewhat appeased.

"It's a little sore but my doctor says it will heal perfectly" assured Callen. "Look, why don't you come out and see for yourself. You must have leave due to you" he asked.

"Me, come to LA? Are you sure?" Abby said.

"Yeah I'm sure. Hetty has plenty of rooms here and she'd love to see you" said Callen. "Both Gibbs and I would love you to come and I know Eric will be excited too. Just promise me you won't get kidnapped by some psycho again" joked Callen, referring to the last time when Abby was kidnapped and nearly killed by a serial killer who had stalked her on line.

"Don't even joke about it Callen" pleaded Abby. "That was really scary but thank you again for rescuing me."

"You're welcome" answered Callen "but it was your signing that led us to where he was holding you so Sam and I could get to you in time."

"Let me have a word with Director Vance to see if he'll let me take some vacation time" said Abby.

"I'm sure it won't be a problem. If it is, let me know and I'll set Hetty onto him!" said Callen and he was rewarded by Abby laughing at the thought. "If you can come, just call when you know when your flight is and we'll meet you at the airport. Do you want to speak to Gibbs again?" Callen asked.

"Yes please" said Abby. "Bye Callen. I'll speak to you soon and don't you dare do anything stupid to hurt yourself again."

"I'll try not to Abs" answered Callen with a chuckle in his voice. "Here, I'll pass you over to Gibbs." Callen held out the phone to his friend who took it and spoke to Abby.

"Hey, you gonna try and get out here?" asked Gibbs.

"Yeah, if Director Vance will let me" answered Abby.

"I'm sure he will" replied Gibbs. "McGee has stood in for you before and if there's an emergency, we can get you back soon enough. I'll be good to see you. It'll cheer Callen up" added Gibbs.

"Is he really okay Gibbs?" asked Abby obviously still concerned for his welfare.

"Yeah, he's good. A bit frustrated that he's put his recovery back but he's doing fine" assured Gibbs.

"Okay. Well I best go and see Director Vance and I'll keep you posted" said Abby. "Please keep an eye on Callen and see that he doesn't do anything silly" pleaded Abby.

"I will, promise. Speak to you later Abs" said Gibbs as he disconnected.

Gibbs went over to Callen who was drying himself and getting into his sweatpants and t-shirt. "What made you invite Abby out here?" asked Gibbs.

"Seemed like a good idea at the time" said Callen smirking. "Besides I haven't seen her for a while and I think she needs a break."

"Y'know she'll try to smother you with kindness" warned Gibbs.

"Yeah but then you can help me out if she does" replied Callen.

"No way, you're on your own there I'm afraid" said Gibbs smiling. "Abs is a force of nature that's hard to stop when her mind's set on something."

Callen grunted his disapproval and said "Some friend you are! Seriously, it'll be good to see Abs again and catch up with all the gossip on the East Coast. It'll also be good for you. You can show her the sights so you don't have to be stuck with me."

"Callen, I see Abs every day back home. I don't need the distraction and you're not going to get rid of me that easily. If she gets the leave, we'll figure out how we're going to occupy her time as well as keeping you to your schedule."

At that moment Hetty appeared with a tray of drinks, which she placed on the table under the parasol. "Gentlemen, I thought you might be thirsty." Callen and Gibbs sat down and helped themselves to the drinks.

"Thanks Hetty" said Callen. "Abby just called" he added.

"How is Miss Sciuto?" asked Hetty.

"She's good" answered Callen. "She was worried about Gibbs because he hadn't called her since he got here" said Callen with a touch of disapproval in his voice.

"Don't forget to tell Hetty that Abby was also angry at you for not telling her about the injury to your hand" countered Gibbs smirking at Callen's discomfort under Hetty's stare.

"Yeah, well" stuttered Callen. "How was I to know that Eric would tell her?" he added in his defence.

"Gentlemen" said Hetty. "Miss Sciuto is extremely fond of both of you and it's in her nature to worry about those she cares about."

"Yeah I know" said Callen. "Anyway I've invited her out here if she can get Vance to give her time off. That's okay isn't Hetty?"

"Yes of course, Mr Callen. It'll be good to see her again. She's like a breath of fresh air. And she'll prove a distraction for you too" said Hetty. "Oh, if she has problems with Leon, just let me know and I'll have words with him."

Callen and Gibbs both laughed causing Hetty to glare at them. "That's what Callen told her" explained Gibbs.

Later on Hetty received a phone call from Director Vance. "Henrietta, how are you?" he asked.

"I'm very well Leon" answered Hetty. "To what do I owe this pleasure" she asked already sure of the reason.

"Miss Sciuto came to me earlier and asked for some leave so she could go to LA" explained Vance.

"So I understand" stated Hetty.

"Oh so you know about it?" asked Vance.

"Yes Leon I do" replied Hetty. "Why would you imagine that I didn't? It's not a big secret and I'm happy to accommodate Miss Sciuto's visit. I'm sure she could use the break and it would be beneficial to both Mr Callen and Jethro."

"How's Agent Callen doing?" asked Vance.

Vance heard a sigh from Hetty before she continued. "He's getting better but he's had a setback. He collapsed and hit his head as well as damaged the tendons in his hand with glass." Hetty heard an intake of breath on the end of the line. "He's fine. His doctor's said it'll heal perfectly well but it's causing him some discomfort and frustration as he can't exercise properly until the hand heals sufficiently to allow him to continue with his regime."

"I see" replied Vance. "Luckily it's a little slow over here so I've no problem in granting her request. I just needed to ensure you were on board with the visit and of course we need to make a contingency plan in case we need her expertise."

"Well I understand Agent McGee has stood in before in an emergency and we can get Miss Sciuto to the Ops Centre so she's got access to technology and can lend a hand. We can always get her a military or commercial flight back if she's desperately needed in DC" said Hetty.

"Thank you for being so accommodating Henrietta" said Vance. "Please give my regards to Gibbs but especially Callen. I hope he gets better soon. I understand his team is missing him. Please keep me updated Henrietta."

"Naturally Leon" replied Hetty.


	30. Chapter 30

_A/N: as Idon't live in the US & it's been a long time since I was last in LA, I had to rely heavily on internet research for tourist options in LA so please forgive me if I've made any mistakes. This chapter is a little longer than normal and I'm afraid there's not much action so please forgive me. However, please read and review as your comments mean a lot to me. Thanks for your continued support_

Chapter 30

When Abby phoned Callen the next day to let him know her flight details and time of arrival, she was bubbling with excitement at the prospect of visiting her friends in LA. On Sunday, the day of Abby's arrival, Gibbs and Callen went to the airport to meet her. Gibbs drove as Callen had not been cleared to drive because of the injury to his hand. They parked up, entered the arrivals hall and looked at the board to see that her flight had landed and that the luggage was in the baggage hall. They waited patiently searching the crowd for their friend. As soon as Abby caught sight of Callen she ran, as much as her platform boots would allow, and wrapped her arms around Callen with such force that she nearly knocked him over. He hugged her back, warmed by her exuberance.

"Hey be careful with him Abs" warned Gibbs. "He's not 100% yet."

"I'm fine Gibbs" said Callen grinning. "I'm pleased to see you too Abs. Glad you could make it." Releasing Callen she then went to Gibbs and fiercely hugged him as well. Callen smiled as he noticed that Gibbs gave her a kiss on the top of her head. Abby was a special person to encourage that reaction from people especially someone as stoic as Gibbs.

"Oh I wasn't going to take 'No' for an answer" said Abby releasing Gibbs from her embrace. "Anyway Vance didn't need much persuading."

"He had a word with Hetty and she put him straight I think" said Callen his eyes twinkling with mirth at the thought. "C'mon let's get you and your bags to the car. How long are you staying?" laughed Callen when he saw the size of her suitcase she had with her.

"Just a week if that's okay with Hetty and if I don't get called back for a case" answered Abby.

"I don't think it'll be a problem and if DC gets a case you should be able to work from OPS rather than going home" replied Callen.

They drove straight back to Dovecote. Gibbs stopped outside the front door and got out to get the luggage out of the trunk. He helped Callen take them inside before getting back in the car and driving to the garage to park it. On hearing the front door open, Hetty came from the kitchen to greet them.

"Miss Sciuto, so pleased you could come" said Hetty taking both of Abby's hands in hers. "Did you have a pleasant flight?"

Abby bent down and hugged Hetty. "Yes thanks. I'm so glad to be here. Thank you so much for letting me stay."

"Anytime my dear" replied Hetty. "You had no problems getting the time off?"

"No and I believe I have you to thank for that as well" said Abby. "Callen said you had a word with Director Vance."

Hetty smiled. "Let's just say I alleviated all Leon's concerns. Come, let me show you your room before we have some tea." Turning to Callen, Hetty said "Mr Callen, are you able to bring up the luggage without hurting your hand further?"

"Sure" said Callen picking up the bags.

At that moment, Gibbs came in and said "Hey G, let me take the suitcase." The two men proceeded to transport Abby's luggage upstairs to her room.

"I'll leave you to get settled. When you're ready, come down and we'll have drinks in the lounge" said Hetty as she turned to go back downstairs. As soon as Callen and Gibbs had deposited Abby's luggage in the room, they left her and went downstairs too.

After a while Abby came to join the others downstairs in the lounge. "Hetty you have a beautiful home" she said.

"Thank you my dear" said Hetty. "I must admit it's my favourite although I do love my yacht."

"You have a yacht?" asked Abby in disbelief.

"Yes although I rarely have the time to do any sailing nowadays" answered Hetty, her voice tinged with a little sadness.

"She also has at least two other houses to my knowledge" added Callen with a grin. "Apart from this one, my particular favourite is her beach house at Venice."

Hetty smiled and said "Mr Callen has always loved the beach and the ocean."

Abby knew that Henrietta Lange was an enigma and only a few people knew some of her background. However there was so much about Callen that people did not know, even his closest friends and some of which even Callen was unaware of. Abby had no idea that Hetty had all these properties or that Callen was aware of them. Abby just stared at Callen and Hetty in disbelief and for once she was lost for words. Gibbs grinned at Abby's predicament and said "Now that's a first." Abby gave him a glare but then broke into a smile.

"What would you like to drink my dear?" asked Hetty. "I have coffee and a range of teas but I've got in some Caf-Pow especially for you as I've been reliably informed that it's your preferred beverage."

"Oh Hetty, you didn't have to go to such lengths but thank you, I'll have some Caf-Pow" replied Abby.

Callen went with Hetty to the kitchen to get the drinks, leaving Abby and Gibbs chatting in the lounge. They returned shortly with the drinks and Callen gave Abby a glass of Caf-Pow, Gibbs his coffee whilst Hetty and he had tea. The quartet chatted about Abby's flight and what was going on in DC. Callen asked about members of the team and how they were faring.

When there was a lull in conversation, Hetty announced "Miss Sciuto, I have a surprise for you. As it's been some time since you've been out here and the visit was memorable for all the wrong reasons, I thought it would be nice if you met up with the team again and of course meet those members who weren't with us at the time. They'll be over this evening for a meal."

"Oh Hetty you shouldn't have gone to so much trouble but I must admit it would be wonderful to see everyone again" replied Abby leaping up and giving Hetty an enthusiastic hug which Hetty returned. Releasing Hetty from her embrace, Abby added "It'll be good to see Eric again although we keep in touch regularly. I think I'll stay away from Steampunk this time just in case …."

"The Phantom is dead Abby" said Gibbs. "Callen killed him when he rescued you."

"And for that I'll be forever grateful, G Callen" said Abby as she went over and gave him a hug.

"Pff" grunted Callen as the air was knocked out of his lungs. When he got his breath back he said "You're welcome Abby Sciuto. I'll do anything for you."

"Everyone is bringing something so you see I'm not doing _all_ the work but I think it'll be an enjoyable evening" said Hetty. "They haven't had much of a chance to see Callen although he popped into the office to see them after his hospital visit and only Sam has seen Jethro since his arrival."

"Can I do anything to help?" asked Abby.

"Thank you my dear but no. You're a guest so just sit back and enjoy yourself" answered Hetty. "They're coming over about 6.30 pm so if you need a rest then don't hesitate to go upstairs."

"I'm fine but I'd like to see more of your home and the gardens if that's okay" asked Abby.

"Of course my dear" answered Hetty. "I'm sure Mr Callen would be pleased to show you around."

"Sure, whenever you're ready Abs" replied Callen.

When Abby was ready, Callen showed her around the house. He showed her the bedrooms, including his own but not Hetty's. Abby was intrigued by Callen's room as it had all the attributes of a young boy's room and not that of an adult. When Abby commented on this, Callen explained.

"Hetty took me out of the foster system as an unruly fifteen year old and took me in. I came to live with her here at Dovecote and this was my room. You can see that Hetty instilled in me a love of books. She eventually set me on the right path although I think I fought her every inch of the way at first. When I went away to college and finally left home, Hetty kept the room as I had left it, reassuring me that it would always be mine and I could come back anytime" he said.

"I had no idea" said Abby, genuinely touched by her friend's story. She knew he was a private man with only a few knowing some of his past and she felt privileged to be told a little of his background. "I realised you and Hetty were close but I never dreamed that you'd lived with her."

"It's not something I advertise" Callen said. "Between us, Hetty and I have a large number of enemies. Neither of us would want the other, or any of our friends, to be put in danger because of our 'relationship'. Our work is dangerous enough as it is."

"I understand and of course I would never say anything" replied Abby.

"Hey I'm not suggesting that you would" answered Callen. "I was just explaining one of the reasons why it's not common knowledge. Shall we go downstairs and see the library?"

Abby nodded and with a final look around her friend's boyhood room, she followed Callen downstairs. He showed her the formal dining room as they passed it and then into the library. "This was one of my favourite rooms as a kid" announced Callen and Abby saw that he was smiling at the early memories. "Still is."

"Wow!" said Abby as she entered and walked around the room, taking time to look at the titles of some of the books on the bookcase that filled one whole wall. "How many languages can Hetty speak?" asked Abby when she noticed that at least half of the books were not in English.

"Oh I've lost track" replied Callen. "Let's see. She's fluent in Russian, French, German, Spanish, Romanian, Czech and Arabic." Callen grinned when he saw the look on Abby's face. "Oh I forgot she can also speak Mandarin, Hebrew, Hungarian, Pashto and Welsh. I think she can speak, or at least make herself understood, in Vietnamese."

"How did you get on with reading the books if they're in a foreign language?" asked Abby intrigued by how Callen learnt to speak so many languages as she knew he could.

"Well Hetty taught me some and would read to me from them. That's when I discovered I had a natural ability for languages and was able to pick them up quickly" he explained. "You ready to see the garden?" asked Callen.

Abby nodded and Callen reached for her hand and had to pull her away from the books. He took her out through the kitchen to the garden and showed her the pool area first of all. "You can use it anytime you want" said Callen. "If you haven't got a bathing suit then we can buy one or you may find that Hetty has some that she keeps specifically for guests. I swim every morning to try and get my fitness back. I can't do more physical stuff until my hand heals."

"It's got to be so hard for you" said Abby sympathising.

Callen shrugged. "I'll admit I get frustrated and angry but it only spurs me on to get better. I've been there before and managed to come back so I've just got to be patient." Callen's broke into a grin and Abby looked at him quizzically. "I'm not renowned for my patience" he explained and Abby smiled at him. "Come and see the rest of the garden" Callen said as he took her by the hand and lead her in the direction of the main garden.

As they passed through a gap in a hedge interspersed with honeysuckle they entered a wonderland of a hidden garden. A breath of wonder escaped Abby. "This is beautiful. I had no idea it was here" she exclaimed.

"I know" agreed Callen. "This is my favourite part of the garden. I would escape here to think, or sulk, when I was younger. I still find it very peaceful and therapeutic. I'll let you explore it by yourself" said Callen and when Abby looked at him with concern he added "No, I'm fine, really. I'm just a little tired. I'm going for a lie down before everyone arrives." He gave her a peck on the cheek and left her alone in the garden.

Inside he sought out Hetty. "I've left Abby to explore the garden and I'm going upstairs to rest before the meal tonight."

"Are you alright my dear?" asked Hetty, placing her hand on Callen's arm.

"Yeah, just a little tired. I'll be okay after a nap" he assured her bending down a giving her a kiss on the cheek. Hetty smiled and watched him go upstairs to his room. When she heard the door close she turned away and went into the lounge.

After exploring the garden Abby came back into the house and went to her room to freshen up and change for the evening. When she was ready she went downstairs and found Gibbs and Hetty in the lounge. Joining them she asked "When is everybody due?"

"About 6.30" replied Hetty. "I plan to eat about 7. I appreciate it's been a long day for you and you must be tired so I didn't want it to be a very late affair."

"Oh I'm fine" said Abby. "As long as there's Caf-Pow!" Gibbs laughed and Hetty smiled. "Is Callen alright?" asked Abby. "He went in to rest some time ago and I haven't seen him since."

"He says he's fine" answered Hetty "but he tends to say that even when he's not. I know he gets tired quickly although he tries to hide it from me. Still I shouldn't worry as it hasn't been all that long since he came out of hospital." Glancing at her watch Hetty said "Look at the time. The others will be here soon. Why don't you go up and see if he's awake" Hetty suggested to Abby.

As she rose to go, Gibbs warned "Abs, if he's still asleep, don't try and wake him by shaking him. He has a tendency to over react. Just shout at him till he stirs."

Abby nodded her head in acknowledgement and went upstairs to Callen's room. She tapped lightly on the door but got no response. She knocked louder and called out his name but still got no answer. Tentatively she opened the door and peered inside. The room was gloomy as Callen had pulled the curtains to block out the bright California sun so he could sleep. Abby could see the shape of his body on the bed and walked over to it. She was just about to place her hand on his shoulder when she remembered Gibbs' warning. Bringing her hand back to her side Abby said "Callen, you awake?" Saying his name louder, Abby jumped back in surprise as Callen sat bolt upright in bed ready to attack.

Callen looked up into Abby's face. Her hands were up around her face and she wore an expression of uncertainty tinged with fright. With genuine concern evident in his voice, Callen said gently "Abs, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you!"

"Gibbs warned me but I still didn't think you'd react like that!" she answered, quickly composing herself, lowering her hands and taking a step towards Callen.

Callen swung his legs out of bed and reached for her hand. He stood up and hugged her. "I'm truly sorry. Y'know I'd never hurt you" he said. "Well, not knowingly anyway."

"It's okay, Callen, really. I'm fine" she said. Abby was intrigued to know why he reacted as he did so she asked. "What makes you do it?"

Callen shrugged. "I guess it's years of trying to stay one step ahead of my enemies." Abby knew Callen was not telling the truth, at least not the whole truth but she let the subject go as she thought he was uncomfortable about admitting the real reason.

"I'm sorry I had to wake you but Hetty said the others would be here soon. She thought you'd like to be ready when they arrived" Abby explained.

"Is that the time?" said Callen. "I didn't think I'd slept so long. Yeah I'd like to be there when they arrive so I guess I'd better get ready." As Abby turned to leave, Callen said "Abs, are you really okay?"

Turning back to Callen she wrapped her arms around him and gave him a big hug as she said "Yes, I'm fine. I just wasn't prepared for your reaction to being woken that's all. Now I know it won't be a problem if I have to wake you again" she added with a big smile. She kissed him on the cheek and left the room to go downstairs. Callen shook his head in disbelief at Abby's positive nature and began to get ready for the arrival of his friends.

When Abby entered the lounge, Gibbs looked at her quizzically recognising her slightly unsettled demeanour. "Abs, what happened?" he asked.

"Nothing" answered Abby. Gibbs looked at her with a slight tilt of his head as if he was not convinced. "Really Gibbs, nothing happened. I just wasn't prepared for his reaction at being woken."

"You didn't touch him did you my dear?" asked Hetty evidently concerned.

"No, I remembered Gibbs's warning just in time" Abby replied. "I just spoke his name loudly. He did startle me though but I'm fine and he was very apologetic."

Hetty and Gibbs breathed a sigh of relief. They had both been on the receiving end of Callen's reaction to be awoken or touched when he was not expecting it in the early days before they had learnt how to handle him. They knew how painful it could be and how guilty Callen always felt afterwards.

"As long as you're okay" said Gibbs. Abby nodded in the affirmative.

"Is Mr Callen getting ready?" asked Hetty.

"Yes" answered Abby. "He said he'll be down shortly and well before anyone arrives."

"Good. Now excuse me. I've some things to do myself before they arrive" said Hetty leaving Gibbs and Abby together.

"Don't say anything Gibbs" said Abby when she noticed the tell tale look in his eyes. "I'm fine. He didn't touch me and he's extremely sorry he frightened me. Now just leave it at that."

"Okay" said Gibbs.

Callen joined them and Gibbs could tell that his friend was still feeling guilty regarding his reaction to Abby waking him. To try to allay his concerns Gibbs said "Don't beat yourself up Callen. You didn't hurt her. You just startled her that's all."

"I know but …" said Callen, his words tailing off.

"No buts G Callen" interrupted Abby. "I'm fine." She looked into his face seeing the guilt evident there. "We good?" she asked.

Callen looked at Gibbs and Abby before answering. "Yeah but…"

"I'm won't hear any more about it" Abby said sharply. "Now are we good?"

There was a knock on the front door as Callen was deliberating. Callen smiled weakly and said "Yeah, we're good Abs."

"Good I'm glad that's settled. Now let's go and see who's arrived" she replied grabbing Callen by the hand and dragging him to the front door, her excitement clearing showing.

Opening the front door Callen and Abby saw Deeks and Kensi. Kensi stepped inside and gave Callen a big hug. "Abs, you remember Kensi?" said Callen as Kensi released him.

"Of course I do. How are you?" Abby said as Kensi turned to Abby and hugged her too.

"I'm fine. It's good to see you again Abby" said Kensi warmly. "This is Deeks" indicating Deeks who stood behind them.

"Hi, I'd hug you but my hands are full" said Deeks giving Abby one of his goofy smiles as he nodded to the tray of lasagne that he was carrying.

Callen stepped forward and said "Let me take that. I'll get it to Hetty and you can be introduced properly."

"Thanks man" said Deeks. "Careful, it's still hot" as he handed over the dish to his team leader who turned and went to the kitchen.

Kensi introduced Deeks formally to Abby. "This Detective Martin Deeks, our LAPD Liaison Officer and my partner."

"Pleased to meet you Martin" said Abby, reaching out to hug him.

"Only my mama calls me Martin. Call me Deeks, everyone else does" he said grinning warmly at Abby as she hugged him. "I've heard so much about you from the guys. You're a true legend to them and everyone's so excited you're here" he babbled.

"Well they're my heroes too and I'm really glad to be here" said Abby. "My last visit didn't go so well and I was only out here a short while when Callen was in hospital. When he invited me out, I just had to come."

"Yeah, I'm glad he's on the mend. It was pretty touch and go for a while but he proved he's a fighter" said Deeks. "I heard about your run-in with the Phantom. That must've been terrifying."

"Yeah it was but I had faith in the team that they'd rescue me and kill that sicko" said Abby. Her voice was laced with pride remembering how the team rescued her but there was more than a touch of anger and digest at what the Phantom had done to her and what he had planned to do.

At that moment there was a knock at the door and Kensi turned round to open it. Sam stood on the doorstep carrying a bowl of salad. He stepped inside and hugged Kensi, shoulder hugged Deeks and stepped towards Abby.

"Abby Sciuto, it's good to see you again" he said warmly, hugging her.

"You too Sam. How are you?" she asked.

"Good" he replied. "Pleased Callen is on the mend and that you and Gibbs are here to keep an eye on him. Speaking of Callen, where is he?"

"He went to the kitchen to give Hetty the lasagne Deeks bought" answered Abby.

"Okay. I best get this to Hetty too" Sam said nodding down at the bowl he carried. "I'll catch you later."

Kensi, Deeks and Abby went into the lounge where Gibbs was sitting and after greeting him, introduced Deeks to him. Hetty, Callen and Sam came out of the kitchen to join the throng and they all chatted easily until they heard another knock on the door. Hetty began to rise from her seat but Callen laid a hand on her arm. "I'll go" he said getting up.

Nell and Eric stood on the doorstep and she beamed widely at Callen, pleased to see him looking so well. Eric however was a little distracted looking behind Callen and not interacting with him.

"Eric, what's up?" asked Callen.

"Where is she?" asked Eric excitedly.

"Where's who?" teased Callen keeping a straight face

.

"Abby of course" said Eric. "I thought she was here."

"She was but she had to leave unexpectedly" announced Callen.

Eric's facial expression immediately dropped into one of disappointment and disbelief. "What? She's gone back already? Without saying goodbye? Or even hello?" he moaned.

Nell was trying hard to stop herself from laughing. Eric had been driving her mad all day about seeing Abby and bestowing stories about her genius. Nell was well aware of Abby's exploits and respected and admired her greatly. Nell was not really a jealous person however Eric's constant chatter was wearing thin and she secretly enjoyed Callen's teasing. Just then Abby walked into the hall and espied Eric. Tottering towards him in her platforms she hugged him. As soon as he saw Abby, Eric's face burst into a wide grin as he hugged her in return.

"Callen said you'd left" complained Eric glaring at Callen.

Abby shot Callen one of her icy glares but he just grinned and shrugged. "It never fails to amuse me how easy it is to wind him up. Sorry Eric" said Callen.

"Abby, you've not met Nell Jones, our Intelligence Analyst and newest field recruit" said Callen.

"No but I've heard all about you from Eric" said Abby directing her attention to Nell. "He doesn't stop talking about you" she added.

Nell blushed and said "I'm sorry. I had no idea" answered Nell a little bewildered and embarrassed.

"Hey it's not a problem Nell. In fact it's great to know there's another intelligent woman around to give these men a run for their money" replied Abby talking Nell by the arm and leading her into the lounge. Callen and Eric were left opened mouthed, watching their retreating backs.

"I guess we deserved that. C'mon Eric" mused Callen as he slapped a deflated Eric on the back and lead the way to the lounge.

In the lounge Hetty was waiting with Gibbs, Sam, Kensi, Deeks, Nell and Abby when Callen and Eric walked in.

"Are we all here now?" asked Callen who was decidedly hungry.

"We're waiting for one more guest" said Hetty. Callen frowned at her as he did not know to whom she was referring. Seeing the look on his face Hetty said "Oh how soon we forget." Her comment made Callen frown more. Just then the door bell rang. "That should be our final guest. Would you please do the honours Mr Callen?" said Hetty.

Callen went to the front door and opened it. He stared at the person in total surprise. "Nate, when did you get back?" he asked as Nate Getz stepped into the house.

"Just now. I've come straight from the airport" replied Nate shaking Callen's proffered hand in greeting. "Hetty called when she knew Abby was coming and arranged a special flight for me" he added in explanation. Callen grinned as he thought of what Hetty had arranged.

"Everyone's here and we're about ready to eat but do you wanna go freshen up first?" asked Callen.

"Thanks but I did that on the plane. I can't wait to see everyone especially Gibbs and Abby. But how are you doing Callen? You're looking pretty good since last I saw you" said Nate.

Callen sent Nate a sideways glance. "You were at the hospital?" asked Callen.

"Yeah why wouldn't I be?" asked Nate genuinely surprised that Callen had doubts about his presence at the hospital when he was in a coma. "After all I'm still a member of Hetty's team even if I'm abroad most of the time now." Callen shrugged. Nate stopped and turned towards Callen and looked down into his blue eyes. "Hetty called me as soon as they rescued you from Dallas' gang. I wanted to come to you as soon as I heard but Hetty said it wasn't necessary and my mission was more important. I tried to argue with her but you know what she's like." Callen nodded and smirked. "It was only when you didn't come out of the coma when expected that she asked me to fly home."

"Why did she relent and let you come back then and not before?" asked Callen.

"I think she thought I could help you come back to us. As it turned out it was Sam's little girl who seemed to get through to you" said Nate smiling at the memory. Seeing that the conversation was making Callen a little uncomfortable, Nate continued. "Hey I'm not here to analyse you in any way. I'm just here as a friend so why don't we go in and get this party started."

Callen broke into his lop sided smile and the pair walked into the room. The team were all glad to see Nate but Nell was especially pleased. After greeting the team, Nate greeted Abby warmly and turned his attention to Gibbs. "It's good to see you again Gibbs" said Nate, shaking his hand.

"You too" replied Gibbs who recalled Nate from when the joint mission in LA which ended in the drive by shooting of Callen.

"I know it's some time ago now but I'm sorry to hear about Macey" said Nate, referring to the LA team's former Operations Manager who had been murdered. At the time of the joint mission between LA and DC offices, there was friction between Macey and Gibbs following her investigation into him years before. Nate had told Gibbs on his departure that she had buried the information and had been protecting him ever since which seemed to allow a truce between them.

"Yeah" said Gibbs sadly "but we got her killer" he added.

Hetty announced that the food was ready and everyone followed her into the dining room where the table was laden with the offerings that everyone had brought. They all sat down and helped themselves to the fare and chatted nosily to one another over other conversations. Hetty was pleased to have everyone here. Her team and her family were safe. She watched Callen closely and was pleased to see that he was joining in the conversations and had eaten well. Hetty hoped that this evening would help him see that there were a number of people who cared for him and he was not alone in his struggle to regain his fitness. Hetty was well aware of Callen's penchant for doing things on his own and was pleased that he had accepted Gibbs' help. She was also pleased but somewhat surprised of his request for Abby to come and stay. She knew that Abby had a big heart and cared for her NCIS family in which Callen was included since he had saved her live. Hetty knew that he was frustrated at not being able to train properly because of the injury to his hand so hoped that Abby's visit would be the distraction he needed to allow his hand to heal sufficiently for him to start more rigorous exercises.

Looking round at the faces she noticed that both Callen and Abby looked a little tired. Taking a spoon and tapping it lightly on a bottle, Hetty was able to cut through the noise of the conversation to make herself heard. "Whilst I'm delighted to have you all here and I'm pleased that you're evidently enjoying yourself, Miss Sciuto only arrived this morning and I'm sure she's exhausted."

Abby was about to disagree with Hetty when Gibbs nudged her and with a slight shake of his head which only she saw, followed his gaze towards Callen. Abby noticed, as had Hetty and Gibbs, that Callen was looking jaded. Without wanting to call undue attention to him, Abby smiled at Hetty and said "I don't want to break up the party but I am a little tired and could do with a good night's sleep. Hetty, I want to thank you for arranging this wonderful evening. I was so good to see everyone again."

"It was my pleasure my dear" said Hetty. "It's good to see everyone enjoying themselves. In our line of work, we seldom have the luxury."

There were echoes of 'Too right', 'Amen to that' from the table and they all began to get up and clear the table although Hetty had indicated that it was not necessary. Everyone said their goodbyes and finally Hetty, Callen, Gibbs and Abby were left alone. Gibbs and Abby went to their respective rooms leaving Hetty and Callen remaining.

"Thanks Hetty" said Callen.

"For what my dear?" she asked.

"For arranging this dinner for Abby. It was good for her to have everyone come here" he said.

"I didn't do it just for Miss Sciuto, I did it for you too" she said. "You've been through a lot and I thought you could do with the distraction of having your friends here."

"Thank you Hetty. You never cease to amaze me" he said kissing her lightly on the cheek. "Now I'm tired so I guess I'd better go get some sleep if I'm to show Gibbs and Abby something of LA tomorrow."

Hetty smiled tenderly at Callen as she watched him climb the stairs to his room. She too was tired and soon followed his example and retired to her room falling into a deep sleep.

The next day, after they had eaten breakfast, Callen took Gibbs and Abby to show them around Los Angeles. Gibbs had to drive again and they parked up. They went into the Madame Tussauds Hollywood wax museum and the Chinese Theater. On the way back to the car, they spent time looking at the stars of the old Hollywood motion picture celebrities as well as more modern ones on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. They were especially excited to see those for Mark Harmon, Chris O'Donnell and LL Cool J, all located within a few blocks of another on the north side of Hollywood Boulevard, whilst the stars for Donald and Kiefer Sutherland, Johnny Depp, Sylvester Stallone and Marilyn Monroe were on the south side of the same street. On their way back to Dovecote they took the opportunity to drive around seeing other tourist sights like Sunset Boulevard, the Griffith Observatory, Rodeo Drive, some of the celebrity houses in Bel Air and Beverly Hills and Venice Beach, where they stopped and strolled along the beach front and sat on the beach watching the ocean. On the way home back to Hetty's house they stopped off at The Original Farmers' Market to pick up some supplies.

When they were driving home a sign caught Callen's eye and he was transported back to Abby's last visit. "Hey Abs, do you still want to see the Museum of Jurassic Technology? I don't think you got to go last time" Callen asked.

"Oh yes, I'd love to go if there's time and the car museum. Hey, can we go to Disneyland too while I'm here? I think it'll be fun."

"Sure there should be time for everything" agreed Callen. "As for Disneyland, a weekday is a quieter day so perhaps Thursday would be good. When we get back home, I'll check with Hetty to see if she'll let the rest of the team join us."

Abby clapped her hands in glee. "Oh that would be so cool. I hope she'll agree."

"I'm sure she will. I've heard it's quiet at work at the moment" said Callen. "I'm not so sure Granger will approve but Hetty can handle him."

 **A/N** : location of Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame:

Mark Harmon: north side of the 6200 block of Hollywood Boulevard

Chris O'Donnell: north side of the 6600 block of Hollywood Boulevard

LL Cool J: north side of the 6900 block of Hollywood Boulevard

Sylvester Stallone: south side of the 6700 block of Hollywood Boulevard

Johnny Depp: south side of the 7000 block of Hollywood Boulevard

Marilyn Monroe: south side of the 6700 block of Hollywood Boulevard

Donald Sutherland: south side of the 7000 block of Hollywood Boulevard

Kiefer Sutherland: south side of the 7000 block of Hollywood Boulevard

John Wayne: west side of the 1500 block of Vine Street

A/N 2: please remember that this story is set a few years ago and before Nate betrayed Callen whilst undercover so their relationship is a little friendlier.


	31. Chapter 31

A/N: _You're in luck! I was able to update so quickly as chapter 30 had grown so large I had to split it in two. I was relieved that chapter 30 was received so well and I hope you enjoy this one as much and that it's not too long. Please read and write a review. Your thoughts and comments mean a lot to me._

Chapter 31

When Callen returned home after the outing with Gibbs and Abby, he went to find Hetty and found her sitting in the garden reading a book.

"Hello Mr Callen" she said as she saw him approach. "Did you have an enjoyable tour?"

"Yeah, I think Abs and Gibbs enjoyed it too" he said sitting down next to her telling her what they had done and seen. "Abs has expressed an interest in going to Disneyland and thought it would be fun if all the team went." He paused and watched his mentor carefully judging her mood. He saw her mouth twitch into a slight smile as she scrutinised him.

"I suppose you'd like me to speak to Granger and clear it with him?" she asked.

"Yes please. If anyone can make this happen it'd be you" he said smoothly.

Hetty chuckled. "Don't try to flatter me Mr Callen, you know that won't work."

Callen shrugged and smirked. "Who says I'm trying to flatter you Hetty? I'm just speaking the truth."

Hetty looked him sideways trying to see whether he was being sarcastic but his face was a picture of innocence. "Hmmm, well alright, I'll see what I can do. I understand not much is happening case-wise and they do deserve a break. Leave it with me" she said.

Callen beamed at her and leant over to plant a kiss on her cheek. "I knew I could count on you, Hetty."

"Well don't count your chickens yet, I may not succeed" she said.

"The day Granger bests you will be the day I retire" said Callen as he got up.

"Well as I can't let that happen, I'd best succeed" she said smiling at the man who had became more than just a mentee and employee to her and watched him leave.

Hetty picked up her phone and pressed the speed dial for Owen Granger, the Assistant Director of NCIS who had arrived a few years previously as a royal pain in the backside bent, it seemed, on usurping her authority and breaking up the team. However he proved to be a true champion of the team and had earned the respect, if not the affection, of them all. Granger and Hetty had history, having worked together on numerous occasions but the team did not know that although she suspected Callen had a good idea because he was extremely perceptive.

"Henrietta, what can I do for you?" Granger asked without preamble.

"Owen, why do you presume I want something?" she said sweetly. "Can't I just call a friend and colleague for a chat?"

She heard Granger give a grunt which could have been a chuckle. She was not sure as he was not renowned for his sense of humour although Hetty knew he had one. "Henrietta, colleagues we may be but it's been a long time since we were friends."

"Owen, that hurts and you do me an injustice" Hetty countered.

"Really? I distinctly remember you threatening me with violence if Agent Callen didn't pull through because you blamed me for perhaps breaking his cover and then sending him back in" Granger said.

"I was upset" said Hetty "besides Mr Callen is well on the way to recovery so you've nothing to worry about."

"Until next time" muttered Granger under his breath.

"What was that Owen?" asked Hetty as she suppressed a chuckle having heard exactly what he had said.

"Nothing" Granger replied. "Now can we please get to the point of your call?"

"How are things at work?" Hetty asked. "I understand there're no active cases that need the team's attention."

"While that may be the case, there's plenty for them to do. The paperwork you're so intent on them completing for starters" said Granger.

"Oh that can wait" answered Hetty. "I believe they need and deserve a day off."

"Oh you do, do you?" said Granger suspiciously. "And why might that be?" he asked.

"They've had a difficult few months with some especially hard cases and they've been a man down" said Hetty. "They've also been extremely concerned about Mr Callen."

"And?" prompted Granger, making Hetty work for the request.

"Why are you being so difficult?" asked Hetty with a tinge of frustration in her voice.

"I wouldn't be doing my job if I was amiable" said Granger gruffly. "I'm not here to be liked."

"Well you're certainly not doing yourself any favours" countered Hetty. "Anyway, you're aware that Miss Sciuto is here visiting Mr Callen. It transpires she wants to go to Disneyland with all the team." Hetty waited for the explosion but was surprised when it did not come.

"What if there's a case while they're off?" asked Granger.

"Well we do have other agents but I'll insist the team be on standby if they're desperately needed if that makes you happy" answered Hetty. "They'd be able to do wonders just with their phones but could leave the park and go to the crime scene if necessary."

There was silence from Granger and Hetty waited patiently until he finally spoke. "Nothing could make me happy but okay you win. Just make sure that they're contactable" said Granger.

"Thank you Owen" said Hetty.

"You owe me big time Henrietta" said Granger before he disconnected.

Hetty chuckled as she shut off her phone and rose to go tell Callen the news. She found him in the lounge with Gibbs and Abby. They stopped chatting and looked at her as she entered. Callen's eyebrows rose in a silent question. "It's all been cleared Mr Callen. Granger has agreed that the whole team can go with you to Disneyland if they want although they'll have to be available should a case arise."

Abby clapped her hands in joy and excitement and Gibbs' mouth twitched into a smile. Callen said "Thanks Hetty. I knew you could do it."

"Well Granger didn't put up as much opposition as I'd thought. It'll be good for you all. You've all had a tough few months" she said. "You'd better contact them and let them know" Hetty added.

"I will and thanks again Hetty. I owe you" Callen said.

"Funnily enough that's what Granger said to me" Hetty said and they all laughed.

Callen phoned Sam who was in the bullpen doing the dreaded paperwork with Kensi and Deeks. When Callen told him the news, Sam said he would check with the others. Callen did not have to wait too long before Sam phoned back to confirm that he, Kensi, Deeks and the Wonder Twins would all be delighted to join them. Before disconnecting Callen advised he would get back to them as soon as possible with the exact arrangements.

At Dovecote, Callen spent some of Wednesday planning what rides they would go on with input from Abby and Gibbs. Callen was surprised that Gibbs seemed enthusiastic about the trip and was totally involved in the planning. Hetty entered the room and pulled Callen aside and told him that she would pay for everything and would arrange for monies to be transferred to his account.

"I appreciate the offer Hetty, but you don't have to do that" Callen said. "I've got money so I can afford it. It's not like I've anything else to do with it."

"That's as maybe" Hetty answered taking his hand. "Just let a silly old woman treat her boy and his friends to an enjoyable day out. You deserve it, heck they all do."

Callen looked at Hetty and realised that she was not going to back down so he agreed. He bent down and kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you, it means a lot to me" he said. As he went to go back to the others, he turned back to her and said grinning "And Hetty? Just to let you know, you're not silly."

Hetty looked at him and chuckled and then said with mock seriousness "Don't be cheeky!" and shooed him away.

Back with the others, Callen downloaded the Disney mobile app to his phone and bought all the tickets in advance. It would save precious time as it just scanned the bar code rather than having to queue for the tickets and it could also advise them of the waiting times for each ride as well as allowing him to reserve places at the many eating places. As promised, Callen got in touch with the others to make final arrangements.

On Thursday Callen, Gibbs and Abby meet up early with Sam, Kensi, Deeks, Nell and Eric to have breakfast and arrived at the gates well before opening time in order to avoid some of the crowds and queuing. Once inside, they jumped on the Disneyland Railroad at Main Street, USA which had five meticulously restored, authentic narrow-gauge steam trains. Each included four sets of passenger cars and had been named after a careful selection of locomotive legends. Callen, Gibbs and Abby had discussed the day before what they had wanted to see but the rest of the team had not been with them. They embarked on the relaxing 18-minute journey around the park which allowed input from the others. The other members of the team mostly approved of the rides which the others had already chosen but it was agreed that they could always split up if there was a conflict of interest.

The train travelled along the Banks of the Rivers of America where they saw landscapes inspired by 4 of America's majestic rivers: the Mississippi, the Columbia, the Missouri and the Rio Grande. Each had been carefully recreated, complete with indigenous rock formations, natural forests and wildlife and five picturesque waterfalls. The train traversed across several trestles elevated above the rivers and included in the tour were Walt Disney's legendary dioramas of the Grand Canyon and Primeval World. After the steam train had completed its circuit, the group of friends disembarked at the New Orleans Square and walked around the square taking in the sights on their way to the Haunted Mansion.

"Oh it's so realistic" said Abby looking around excitedly. "I quite expect to see Agent Pride walking down the street towards us." The others smiled at her comment and thought of the man who headed up the NCIS field office in New Orleans.

They entered the Haunted Mansion which was listed as 'A Spirited Tour'.

They edged into a dimly lit foyer with other Disneyland visitors and entered the Portrait Chamber, which appeared to stretch revealing secrets on the walls and an unseen horror high overhead. To the disembodied voice of the Ghost Host, who was the private guide through the cadaverous realm of the estate, it directed them from room to room.

They climbed into the gloomy Doom Buggies for a supernatural journey through a tangle of over fifteen darkened and frightful chambers. They saw the Grand Ballroom where they watched shadowy revellers waltz to and fro, banshee heads floated out of a nearby organ and two haunted men fought a duel. They viewed otherworldly spiritualist Madame Leota host a séance with apparitions who materialized and made their ghostly presences known around them as well as the graveyard which overflowed with spooks and spectres joyously singing the haunting anthem "Grim Grinning Ghosts," as a cemetery watchman and his bony dog quivered in fear. Throughout the ride the group of friends watched in awe at the spectacular manifestations and shrieked then giggled after they were taken by surprise when one of the many ghosts made themselves known.

After leaving the Haunted Mansion they made their way to Adventureland where the two exciting experiences, Pirates of the Caribbean and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril were waiting for them. The Pirates experience boasted slower rides on water with small drops but was sometimes dark, scary and loud. On the other hand whilst Indiana Jones ride had small drops, the thrilling rides in a cart threw the occupants into out of control spiral of twists and turns through the darkest corners of the cursed temple ruin, which was dark, scary and often accompanied by loud noises.

Having experienced three fairly hectic rides straight after one another, the group decided to try something a little more sedate. Making their way to Frontierland, Eric espied a shooting gallery set up as a rustic cabin. He rushed over, eager to impress Abby with his new found shooting skills. The gun was a replica .54-caliber Hawkins buffalo rifle. The group were pleased to see safety was paramount and that the rifles did not use bullets but infra red beams. A sensor activated lights, sounds and animations, some of which were supernatural, when the target was hit. There were nearly one hundred interactive targets to choose from and everyone took a turn. When it was Callen's turn, Gibbs unobtrusively had a word with him.

"G, should you be doing this? What about your hand?" he asked.

"It feels good Gibbs" answered Callen. "If it hurts I'll stop I promise."

Gibbs nodded and watched as Callen stepped up and flexed his fingers on his injured hand. Sam watched anxiously but decided not to say anything. If the others were concerned they did not say anything but watched their team leader take his shots. Sam and Gibbs both noticed that Callen winced each time he squeezed the trigger but he still hit the targets and was rewarded by the cacophony of lights, sounds and animations that had greeted his friends. Callen turned and grinned at his team mates. He was secretively pleased that had held his own and that he had been able shoot, although he realised it was a far cry from being on active duty.

Callen was feeling a little tired so he suggested that break for lunch. Checking the app, Callen suggested a nearby restaurant and they all went there and get themselves food and drink. Surprisingly it was not very busy and they were served quickly and they found enough free tables and chairs to accommodate their large numbers. They chatted while they ate and the restaurant was filled with laughter.

Callen was a quiet and Sam was a little worried but before he could say anything, Callen said "I'm fine Sam, just a little tired. I've hardly been out since I got to Hetty's and certainly haven't been doing as much as we've done today."

"As long as you're sure" replied Sam. "Just say something if you want to leave."

Callen shook his head. "I couldn't disappoint Abby or the others. We've all been through a lot in the past few months and everyone needs this. I'll take it easy if I start to feel bad, I promise."

"Make sure you do coz I'll be watching you G" answered Sam.

Callen smiled and said "I know you will, Sam. As will Abby and Gibbs so you don't have to worry."

"But you know I still will" muttered Sam.

"Yeah, you will" said Callen smiling.

After lunch, Callen suggested they take a more sedate ride on the Mark Twain riverboat to let their lunch go down before they embarked on the last couple of hectic rides that they had planned. He for one did not want to feel or be physically sick and he was sure the others felt the same. He was pleased that everyone agreed with him and he purchased the tickets using the app. Once on board the party split up and Callen found himself alone. He leaned against the rail and gazed at the passing scenery. Abby came up beside him and placed her arm around his shoulders in a friendly hug.

"How are you feeling Callen?" she asked.

"Good" he answered automatically. Abby stared at him, not convinced by his answer. "Okay I'm getting tired" he conceded "but I'm fine to continue. I don't want to spoil it for the others so I can always sit out on the last few rides. Besides I'll rest tomorrow" he added.

"Make sure you do" replied Abby. "I don't want to be on the receiving end of Hetty's anger."

"You won't be. I'll make sure of that" said Callen leaning over and kissing Abby lightly on the cheek. "She's pleased you're here. I was getting bored at home and you gave me an excuse to show you the sights of LA, which makes me happy. If I'm happy, then she's happy." Abby beamed at him and hugged him fiercely before letting him go and she gazed out on the panoramic vista that met them as the riverboat rounded a bend.

"It's so peaceful" mused Abby "even considering the amount of people that are in the park." Callen nodded in agreement and the two friends stood in silence watching the scenery.

Gibbs and Sam came to join Abby and Callen and soon Kensi and Deeks found them as well. They decided that perhaps they should find somewhere to rest some more before completing the final rides. Gibbs and Sam as well as Kensi and Deeks could see that Callen was tiring and none of them wanted his recovery to be put back any further. The riverboat came into its mooring point and everyone disembarked. Nell and Eric had been some of the first to get off and were waiting for the others on the quay.

Callen, Gibbs and Sam found somewhere to sit while the others mooched around. After a while the others returned. Everyone felt that they wanted to continue with the rides so they made their way to the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, which was billed as the wildest ride in the wilderness where you streak through a legendary gold mining town aboard a rollicking runaway mine train. They were hurled forward into the darkness of a tunnel as the train's wheels chugged back and forth across a winding tracked and swooped around sharps turns and dropped into canyons and caves as they darted through the ghost town of Big Thunder. The train peeled under a booming waterfall, past rock formations and dodged a rumbling boulder from an unexpected landslide. Finally they arrived back to the safety of the railroad station.

Laughing with excitement and charged with adrenaline, which this time had not come from chasing down suspects and dodging live ammunition, the group made their way to Fantasyland where the Matterhorn Bobsleds waited for them. They had to wait a little while before they could embark on a thrilling, high-speed run down the icy slopes of Switzerland's most famous peak. Their made their way inside a traditional, chalet-inspired rail station in the shadow of Switzerland's renowned Matterhorn Mountain. They split into two groups and hopped aboard separate 6-person, weather-beaten sleds with Callen, Sam, Abby and Gibbs being in one with Kensi, Deeks, Nell and Eric in the following sled. They braced themselves against howling winds as they climbed 80 feet high inside an icy cave, taking in the sweeping views at the summit and then hung on, because the only way off the mountain was down! They broke out of the side of the mountain and raced down the base of the peak, swooping in and out of shadowy caves and along jagged rocky ledges. They throttled through icy chutes and around frozen precipices and were whisked across wooden and stone bridges, passing under waterfalls and weaved around mysteriously glowing ice crystals before splashing down in a shallow alpine lake.

When the ride was over they disembarked and laughed and chatted with one another, the adrenaline still pumping through their bodies. They made their way to Tomorrowland where the last ride that they had opted for was waiting, the classic space attraction of Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain. They were enlisted in the Rebel Alliance and attended a briefing from Admiral Ackbar, who gave them their mission – to pilot a reconnaissance vessel and spy on an Imperial Star Destroyer.

However the ride involved a Trap! To the Admiral's despair, the Empire was expecting the Rebels and welcomed their arrival from hyperspace with open armaments. The premise of the ride, with the aid of the X-wing escort, was to blast through a swarm of deadly TIE fighters and blow up a menacing Star Destroyer. With a frenzy of red and green blaster fire, the wicked whirr of TIE fighters and a stunning Star Wars score, the ride proved to be a jaw-dropping experience fit for the most fervent followers of the Force. Eric especially was in his element and could not stop talking about it even after they had all disembarked.

As the group were walking away and looked for something else to do, Sam hung back to talk to Kensi and Deeks. "I think we'd best call it a day. Callen's really tired although he'd never admit it to anyone. Can you tell Nell and Eric?" said Sam furtively glancing back at Callen to ensure that he had not noticed.

"Yeah" said Kensi. "I noticed that too. He's well too quiet now."

"Not that I'm averse to leaving but why do we all have to go?" asked Deeks. His comment received a scowl and a punch on the arm from Kensi. "OW! What was that for?" asked Deeks.

"Haven't you learnt anything about Callen since you've been with NCIS?" asked Kensi.

"Yeah, he's a super spy agent, a polyglot, he rarely sleeps and has a tendency to go lone wolf" said Deeks grinning. Kensi had to smile at his description of Callen.

"That's all true" said Sam "but if he thinks that others want to stay and continue with more rides then he'll remain too."

Deeks nodded in understanding and added "Did I forget to say that he's also stubborn and puts others' welfare and happiness before his own?"

"Yeah you did" said Sam and Kensi in unison.

As Kensi and Deeks went to speak with Nell and Eric, Sam caught up with Callen, Abby and Gibbs. Sam failed to notice the sly look Callen gave him as he approached. As perceptive as ever Callen knew Sam was up to something but he held his tongue for now. The group were joined shortly by Kensi, Deeks and the Wonder Twins. Callen smiled at them and asked "Well we've done all we planned. What do y'all want to do now?"

They looked at one another until Sam said "It's been a long day. I think we should call it a day." The others murmured in agreement.

Callen chuckled and shook his head. "I know what you're doing. I'm fine. If you want to carry on and do more rides, that's fine by me" he said looking at each of their faces.

Eric and Deeks started to speak when they each received a nudge and a scowl from Nell and Kensi respectively. "Errrr, no, Sam's right" said Deeks. "We had an early start and we've got to go to work tomorrow. I'm all for leaving now." Again there were murmurs of agreement.

"Guys, you don't have to do this" countered Callen. "I'm okay and I can always sit out."

Abby stepped forward and took Callen by the arm and looked at him. "Yes we do, Callen. You're exhausted and if we continue here, even if you don't go on any more rides, you're going to drop and we'll have to carry you home. You won't like that and neither will Hetty."

"I for one don't want to be on the receiving end of Hetty's wrath" announced Gibbs.

"Neither do we" said the others in unison.

"You wouldn't be. She'll only blame me" answered Callen.

"Perhaps, but we don't want that either" continued Abby. "You've been doing really well and today's been great fun and good for all of us. We don't want it marred by the fact that we've put your recovery in jeopardy."

Looking at the sincere faces of his friends, Callen had no choice but to concede. "Okay, you win" he said. "We'll leave but thanks for coming. It's been a great day and I really enjoyed myself."

"We've got to thank you G" said Sam. "After all you arranged it all and got us out of work for a day." There was a chorus of agreement from the others.

"Well actually it was Abby's idea and Hetty insisted on paying for it all but I'll take some credit too" answered Callen smirking.

The group of friends made their way to the exit and the car park. They hugged each other and promised that they would see Abby again before she returned home to DC. They made their way to their respective cars and left. When they arrived at Callen's car, Callen told Abby to sit in the front passenger while he went and sat in the rear seat. They were a little surprised at his offer as they knew he normally rode shotgun if he was not driving but they did not force the issue.

As Gibbs eased into the queue of traffic leaving Disneyland, Callen called Hetty to tell her they were on their way home. It was about a forty five minute drive from Disneyland to Hetty's home in West Hollywood. Gibbs did not anticipate any delays because it was evening and way past rush hour so the traffic should be relatively light. Gibbs was pleased that Callen had agreed to come home as he was secretly worried about him. He knew that he had overexerted himself and that he was extremely tired although he had tried to hide it from everyone. He was glad that see that the others had recognised it as well.

The trio had chatted animatedly for a while before they fell into silence. Gibbs was concentrating on the road and Abby was staring out the window watching the scenery. She glanced behind her at Callen and saw he was asleep with his head slumped to one side against the headrest.

She smiled sweetly and in a low voice, careful not to wake him, said to Gibbs "Callen's fast asleep. He looks so peaceful. It'll be a shame to wake him when we get home."

Gibbs looked in the rear view mirror where he could see Callen's face and smiled. He hoped that the day had not been detrimental to his friend's recovery. It was after all meant to be a day of fun, which it was, and was supposed to have been beneficial to his well being. Gibbs would just have to wait and see whether Callen suffered any ill effects.

As Gibbs pulled into the drive at Dovecote, Callen stirred. "Hey sleepy head" said Abby smiling, turning her head towards him. "I didn't want to wake you as you were resting so peacefully."

Bleary eyed Callen looked around him. "We home already?" he asked.

Gibbs got out of the car and opened the rear passenger door for Callen. "Yeah, you've been asleep most of the way. You okay?" he asked with concern.

"I guess so" said Callen. "I still feel tired."

"Well you've had a long and active day" said Gibbs. "It's the first time you've been out and not been able to have a proper rest so it's understandable."

Callen got out of the car and Abby joined him on the front steps as the door opened and Hetty greeted them. "You're back. Did you have a good day?" she asked as they followed her into the house, while Gibbs drove the car back to the garage.

"It was wonderful" said Abby still bubbling with excitement. "Everyone was such fun. I think they enjoyed themselves too."

"Tell me all about it" said Hetty as they entered the lounge. Hetty then glanced at Callen who was looking a little pale. "Mr Callen, are you feeling alright?" she asked concerned.

"I'm fine Hetty. I'm just tired that's all" he answered. "It's been a long day. If you'll excuse me I think I'll go straight to bed."

"Can I get you anything to eat or drink?" asked Hetty.

"No thanks" he replied bending down and kissing her. He turned and hugged Abby before going upstairs to his room.

As Callen was walking upstairs, Gibbs entered and seeing his friend said "G'night G."

He was rewarded by a response. "Night, Gibbs. Thanks for everything. See you in the morning" he said wearily.

Gibbs joined Hetty and Abby in the lounge and noticed they looked concerned. "He overdid it didn't he?" asked Hetty.

"Perhaps" replied Gibbs "but he was pretty good. He suggested we stop for lunch and have a couple of sedate rides before continuing with the more adrenaline rushed ones."

Abby nodded in agreement. "We were all watching out for him. He was all up for staying on if anyone wanted to but we persuaded him to call it a day" she said. "I'm sure he'll be okay, Hetty."

Hetty patted Abby's hand and said "Yes I'm sure you're right." However she did not looked convinced.

Gibbs said "It's been a long day and it's the first time he's been active all day long without a proper rest. He's bound to be tired. I think after a good night's sleep he'll be fine." He looked at Hetty and she smiled back at him. "You can always speak to Michael if you're worried."

"Mmmm, I may do that but I'll wait and see how he is tomorrow. I'm just being over cautious that's all" said Hetty.

"It's understandable Hetty" said Abby. "I'm actually quite tired too. I think I'll go up now too. 'Night everyone" she added kissing Hetty and Gibbs in turn.

Gibbs and Hetty stayed up and chatted over a glass of whisky until Hetty decided to retire as well. On the way to her room, she stopped at Callen's door and lightly tapped and opened it slightly to peer in. She saw him lying on top of the bed fully clothed although she noticed he had removed his shoes. Letting out a soft sigh, she quietly went over to the bed and took a throw from the blanket box and laid it over him. She laid the back of her hand on his forehead, pleased that he did not seem to have a temperature. Moving her hand to tenderly stroke his short hair she quietly said "Sleep well son" and was a little surprised that he did not stir. She walked away and looked back at him one more time before quietly closing the door and going to bed.

The next day when Hetty came downstairs she was surprised but pleased to see Callen was already up. She looked at him closely and decided he appeared none the worse despite his exhausting day, the day before. He turned to her as he felt her eyes boring into his back.

"What?" he asked suspiciously.

"Nothing, I was just wondering how you felt?" she said.

"I'm fine" he answered. "I slept really well for once."

"I'm pleased. You were really tired yesterday, dare I say exhausted" she said.

"Mmmm, perhaps I did overdo it a bit but you don't have to worry Hetty, I'll take it easy for the next couple of days. I really do feel okay" Callen said reassuring her.

"Alright, just don't try to hide anything from me" said Hetty.

"As if I could" countered Callen and received a scowl from Hetty who stepped forward and hugged him.

Gibbs came down next and Abby followed shortly afterwards. Abby was still excited about their excursion the day before and regaled them with anecdotes of the day. After they had finished breakfast, Callen said to Abby "If you want to go to the Museum of Jurassic Technology today I'm sure Gibbs will take you. I'm going to take it easy and recover from yesterday. I admit I might have over exerted myself a bit" he added.

His comment received raised eyebrows and a smirk from Gibbs who muttered "Now that's definitely a first." Turning to Hetty, Gibbs added "I guess our boy's all grown up!"

Callen scowled at him which caused Hetty, Abby and Gibbs to laugh and Callen could not help but join in.


	32. Chapter 32

A/N: _Here's the next chapter and I hope you enjoy it. I apologise for the mini-cliff hanger. I'll try not to make you wait too long for an update. Thanks for your continued support. Please read and review as I love to hear what you think and your comments mean a lot to me._

Chapter 32

After breakfast, Gibbs took Abby out to the Museum of Jurassic Technology as it was a place she had wanted to visit during her last visit to LA but circumstances in the guise of the Phantom had prevented it. After they left the museum they had lunch before deciding whether there was anything else Abby or indeed Gibbs wanted to see.

As they had indicated that they would be away for most of the day Hetty decided to stay with Callen, although he insisted it was not necessary. Hetty had no intention of listening to her senior agent and kept a watchful eye on him. As the morning wore on, Hetty became more than a little worried about him as he seemed listless and not his usual self. She hoped that it was just a case that he had overdone it the day before but decided to check with her godson Michael, who was treating Callen, to ask his advice.

"Hello Hetty, what's up?" asks Michael.

"Good morning Michael. I'm worried about Callen. You're aware that Gibbs is staying with us? Well a colleague and friend flew out from DC to visit Callen and he spent the day at Disneyland with her and the team. They watched him carefully and ensured he didn't over exert himself and had plenty of fluids and nourishment as well as taking short rests. However he's very quiet this morning and hasn't done any of his exercises. More worryingly he hasn't wanted to swim. He's just lounging around and keeps falling asleep."

"Hmmm. How's his appetite?" asked Michael.

"He ate a good breakfast and said he slept well last night" she replied.

"Does he appear anxious or depressed?" asked Michael.

"No more than is normal for him" replied Hetty. "I know he's frustrated that everything's taking so long and of course he's had the set back with his hand. But no, I wouldn't say he was particularly anxious or depressed."

"From what you're describing, I'd say Callen's being sensible and taking it easy after a long and tiring day" said Michael and he heard Hetty breathe a sigh of relief.

"Thank you Michael, you've put my mind at rest" Hetty said. "I suppose I'm just being over protective."

"Considering what he's been through, it's understandable" Michael said. "Look, I could arrange another blood test to rule out anaemia or B12 deficiency but the last one didn't show anything untoward. Also I'm reluctant because I know how much he hates them."

"I agree with you. I really don't want to cause him any further duress unless it's absolutely necessary" replied Hetty.

"Keep an eye on him and if this continues beyond tomorrow, let me know. We may have to investigate further but I'm pretty sure he's just resting up" said Michael. "Make sure he eats and drinks properly. Don't stop him if he wants to sleep for now. His body is telling him what it needs and for once he's listening."

Hetty chuckled at the thought that Callen was doing what was expected of him in regard to his health. "Thank you Michael."

"You know you can ring any time Hetty if you're still worried. Give him my best wishes" Michael said before he disconnected.

Hetty put the phone back in her pocket and went to the kitchen to make a pot of tea. When it was ready she placed it on a tray with two cups and saucers and took it out to garden where Callen was still sitting. She found him by the pool on a lounger under a parasol. The book he had been reading was now in his lap and he was fast asleep. Hetty sighed for she still could not help but worry despite Michael's reassurances. Placing the tray on the ground, Hetty moved a chair so that she could sit under the parasol next to him and placed a small table between them. She bent down to retrieve the tray, placing it on the table and began to pour two cups of tea.

Callen woke, feeling a little groggy from sleep and looked over at Hetty. She smiled at him and pushed a cup towards him. "I thought you might like a cup of tea" she stated.

"Thanks" answered Callen, smiling back at her. "Been there long?" he asked.

"Just a few minutes" she replied. "The tea should still be quite hot." Callen touched the side of the cup to test the heat and nodded. "How long were you asleep?" she asked.

Callen glanced at his watch and said "Not quite ninety minutes. Why? Are you worried about me? You don't have to be y'know. I'm fine."

Hetty smiled. "I'll never stop worrying about you my dear, especially after what you've been through" she said. Callen smiled at her but she could tell he was a little uncomfortable at her show of affection even after all these years. "You've been sleeping a lot lately but especially today and that's totally out of character so of course I'm worried. I'm concerned there's an underlying reason for it."

"Please don't tell me you've bothered Mike with this" Callen said exasperated.

Hetty coughed to hide her embarrassment and replied "Hmm, yes, I did speak to him."

"Well, what did he say?" asked Callen a little curious to hear the answer.

"He told me that for once you were being sensible and were listening to your body telling you to rest" she said and saw Callen roll his eyes. "Yes, well he thinks you probably over exerted yourself at Disneyland yesterday despite taking plenty of breaks." Hetty paused before adding "He told me not worry." Callen smirked. "You don't have to look so smug, it's most unbecoming. However he did tell me to let him know if you were still exhibiting signs of exhaustion after tomorrow" she added as if to justify her reason for contacting Michael.

Callen shook his head and smiled tenderly at Hetty. He knew she would never stop worrying about him just as he would always worry about her. He reached for his tea and sipped it. "Mmmm, this is good Hetty. One of my favourites" he said appreciatively.

"I know and it's got beneficial qualities too" she replied as she reached for her cup and sipped it.

The pair sat and chatted for another hour and Hetty could see Callen was tiring. Hetty glanced at her watch. "Goodness is that the time?" she exclaimed. "We've missed lunch but I can make some sandwiches. You should certainly have something to eat and not wait until dinner time" she added. "One thing Michael did say was that you should eat and drink properly."

Callen rolled his eyes but replied "I am hungry so if it's no trouble, I'd love a sandwich or whatever you want to do. Thanks Hetty."

"It's no trouble whatsoever my dear and I'm a little peckish too" answered Hetty. "Are you happy with chicken and a little salad on rye?" she asked, determined that he would at least eat healthfully whilst he was staying with her.

"That sounds great" replied Callen. "Some more tea would be good too" he added. "Do you need any help?"

"No, thank you dear. You stay where you are and relax. I'll join you as soon as it's ready" said Hetty. Callen smiled at her and watched as she picked up the tray with the teapot and cups and head back to the house.

The day had been hot but a light breeze made it pleasant and bearable and Callen soon dozed off again, content in the knowledge that Hetty would wake him as soon as the late lunch was ready.

As Hetty was preparing the food and drink, Gibbs and Abby returned from their excursion. Abby went straight upstairs, feeling the need to freshen up, after traipsing around the city. Hetty told Gibbs that Callen was in the garden by the pool and suggested that he join him. Gibbs declined food, having had a substantial lunch with Abby, but he accepted a strong cup of black coffee which Hetty would bring out when she brought their late lunch.

Gibbs strolled out into the garden and made his way round to the pool area. He could see Callen on the lounger and it looked like he was asleep. Gibbs smiled to himself, pleased that his friend was resting. Suddenly he became aware of a presence in the shadows standing over Callen, looking down at him. Reaching for his gun, Gibbs started to sprint towards Callen's position. Pointing his weapon at the stranger, Gibbs announced "Federal Agent, step away from him!" The figure did not move. "Step. Away. From. Him. I won't say it again! Now!" Gibbs said emphasising every word.

Callen began to stir at the sound of Gibbs' words and the figure took a few steps backwards as instructed. "I mean him no harm" said the figure. "If I did he'd be dead already."


	33. Chapter 33

_A/N: I wonder if anyone guessed the identity of the stranger. Anyway I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for all your reviews – they mean more to me than you know. Please keep 'em coming._

Chapter 33

"Gibbs, what're you doing?" asked a confused Callen, still groggy from sleep.

"It's okay G, I've got it covered" replied Gibbs, indicating with his gun for the stranger to move further away which he did.

Callen looked at the stranger for the first time and smiled. _This has to be a first._ "Gibbs, I'll ask again, what're you doing?" Callen said.

"I came back and found this guy standing over you" replied Gibbs. "I don't know how the hell he got in but he looked suspicious and dangerous."

"Oh, he's definitely dangerous" said Callen "How'd he get in? That's easy to answer" said Callen. "He can get in anywhere unnoticed." Gibbs risked a quick glance at Callen for he did not want to take his eyes off the stranger. Gibbs was confused because Callen was smiling and looked unperturbed by the stranger's presence. "I'm not in danger Gibbs" Callen added.

"Besides Jethro" said a voice from behind them. "He was invited."

Gibbs spun round to see Hetty walking towards them with a tray laden with sandwiches and drinks. Hetty and Callen both smiled at the look of confusion on Gibbs' face. It was rare that anyone got one over on Gibbs but it was amusing when they did just as long as national security was not involved.

"Oh please put the gun away and come and sit down, Jethro" continued Hetty. "I assure you, you won't need it." Reluctantly Gibbs lowered his weapon and holstered it.

"Besides this man can kill more efficiently with a blade and even have the upper hand against a gun" injected Callen. "I remember Sam and me being in a fight with him against ... oh I don't remember how many but let's say the odds were stacked against us .."

"Unless one knows how capable you all are" added Hetty with a chuckle. "Then the odds would be even or probably in your favour."

"Exactly" said Callen. "Anyways we put them all down and this guy killed more with his blade then we did with our guns. Gibbs, let me introduce you to Tuhon."

"Tuhon is a good friend and came to visit Callen when he was in a coma in hospital" added Hetty. "I remember Mr Getz having a similar experience when he first saw him at the hospital. Tuhon said he'd come and see him again when he was getting better. He contacted me the other day and asked if he could come over today. I of course confirmed that it was alright."

Gibbs stepped forward and held out his hand to Tuhon. "Callen is a good friend of mine too. I was just looking out for him when I thought he was in danger" said Gibbs.

Tuhon shook Gibbs' hand and said "It's admirable that you want to protect him. I'm pleased Callen has so many people who care for him."

"Yep, but he doesn't make it easy" replied Gibbs.

"Indeed" agreed Hetty.

"Still tending to be a tribe of one?" asked Tuhon and the others nodded.

"I must admit, he's getting better and has let a selected few within his walls" added Hetty.

"Hey guys!" interjected Callen "I'm right here! I can hear every word you're saying about me y'know."

Hetty, Gibbs and Tuhon just turned their heads to look at Callen and then continued their conversation as if he had not spoken.

"Fine!" snapped Callen a little put out by their disregard to his presence, which caused them all to laugh.

"Oh Mr Callen, don't get so upset, we're just pulling your leg" said Hetty and was rewarded by Callen smiling back at her. "Tuhon, please take a seat. What can I get you to drink? There's tea, a particular infusion that Mr Callen favours or I can get you a coffee."

"Coffee's fine Hetty" answered Tuhon taking her hand tenderly in greeting before taking a seat next to Callen and shaking his hand.

"I'll get it Hetty" said Gibbs.

"Thank you Jethro. There should be enough coffee in the pot without the need to make some more" said Hetty and Gibbs walked away.

"It's good to see you Tuhon" said Callen.

"And it's good to see you looking so well" replied Tuhon. "The last time I saw you, you were in a bad way and everyone was worried about you."

Callen looked a little uncomfortable at the memory but said "So I'm told. I don't remember much after being rescued but I get flashes of memory every now and then."

"You had many messages and visitors" said Tuhon. "It shows how many people care for you and willed you to recover."

"How do you know all that?" asked Callen.

"Hetty contacted me shortly after you were rescued and kept me informed of your condition" explained Tuhon. "When you were taken off the sedation but didn't wake up, she was really concerned and needed someone to talk to. I was going to come and see you when you recovered but decided I was needed sooner so I visited you."

Callen never one who liked to be the centre of attention smiled weakly. "I was genuinely touched when Hetty showed me all the cards and messages people had sent. I knew Hetty and my team wouldn't leave my bedside. I also knew Gibbs would be concerned but had no idea that he'd come out here whilst I was in hospital let alone spend time with me to help me recuperate." He paused as he looked at the faces of Hetty and Tuhon who were smiling and shaking their heads slightly at his comment.

Gibbs had returned with the coffee for Tuhon and had overhead part of the conversation. "Callen is the only person who's ever surprised and dare I say dismayed by his friends' affection for him" said Gibbs and the nodded in agreement as Callen squirmed at the comment.

"Yeah, well" stuttered Callen which caused further amusement amongst Hetty, Gibbs and Tuhon. "Anyway, I was gobsmacked when Hetty told me that not only had you come to see me in hospital at great risk to yourself but that you'd given me a maniwat."

"It appears to have been one of the turning points to your recovery" said Hetty.

Callen looked confused and Tuhon continued. "Hetty told me that many people had come to see you and spent time talking to you, playing your favourite music and reading to you from your favourite books" said Tuhon.

"I remember snippets and someone speaking to me in Russian" said Callen.

"That was me, my dear" said Hetty.

"But nothing was working" continued Tuhon. "You showed no sign of waking up so I decided to visit you earlier than I'd intended. I was a little shocked to see you like that but I spoke to you, placed the maniwat in your hand and curled your fingers around the handle" said Tuhon. He paused. "When it was time to leave, I thought I'd better give Hetty the blade for safe keeping."

"We didn't think the hospital staff would appreciate having the weapon in the hospital" added Hetty smiling. Callen, Gibbs and Tuhon smiled at the thought as well.

"As I tried to remove it, I felt resistance and just for a moment, you refused to let it go" said Tuhon.

"But you didn't wake up until a broken hearted little girl who thought you no longer loved her came to visit" said Gibbs choking a little at the memory.

"Kam" said Callen softly. He looked around him at three of his closest friends. Callen sighed and getting a little emotional he added "It's such honour to receive such a gift, Tuhon. I can never repay you."

"It was not given so I could receive payment or for you to be indebted to me" replied Tuhon seriously. "These are given only to warriors who have earned them by their heroic deeds. Callen, you earned it. I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly and how much you and Sam had both evolved but you especially. It was a case of the teacher had become the pupil" he said.

"Thank you but you'll always be the master to us. I vow never to dishonour your gift" answered Callen. Gibbs looked quizzically at Callen who said to him "I'll show it to you later and explain."

Hetty however had other ideas. "Jethro, Mr Callen and Mr Hanna first met Tuhon many years ago. It was their first case as a partnership I believe. Tuhon and I had worked together during the Cold War. He's a Kalinga Head-hunter and let's just say he was my weapon of choice. He went back to Equatorial Guinea and became leader of the rebels and tried to overthrow the corrupt dictatorship but the coup failed as he was betrayed by someone internally. He spent many years in prison. We tried to rescue him on many occasions but the agents were always killed virtually as soon as they entered the country. However the next agents we sent were unknown" said Hetty.

"Callen and Sam" said Gibbs.

"Yes" confirmed Hetty. "Anyway they got Tuhon out and he promised to retire from the game of drugs and killings after that operation and as far as we knew he had been true to his word. Just recently they had to resurrect those early aliases to go back under to make contact with Tuhon. An envoy of Equatorial Guinea was murdered here in the States and it looked like Tuhon was responsible. It transpired that a South African mercenary, Steven Carter, who had been caught and spent many years in the notorious Black Beach prison, was behind it."

"Tuhon is the last of the Kalinga Head-hunters and was running an underground bar in Mexico City" continued Callen. "As Hetty said we used our earlier assets of Senor Carl and Teddy – I'll let you guess who was who – to go back and contact him to see if he was innocent or not. It turned out that Tuhon's tribe in Mexico City were disillusioned that he was no longer raking in the money selling drugs etc and were on Carter's payroll. They tried to force his hand but Tuhon sided with us and there was a fight, the one I told you about earlier. Sam and I were unarmed having had our guns taken away from us when we entered the bar. As I recall, Sam used a pool cue, I fought hand to hand until I could get a gun and Tuhon had his maniwat. The fight was over quickly."

"Yes my tribe were already dead. They were only waiting to tell us how they wanted to be killed" said Tuhon. Callen and Hetty smiled at the analogy but Gibbs raised his eyebrows at the statement.

"Tuhon joined forces with Mr Callen and Mr Hanna and escaped back to Los Angeles" continued Hetty with the story. "They laid a trap for Carter and his men who were all killed but Tuhon's name was cleared. Tuhon's now fully retired now but is in hiding from those who still want to harm him hence Callen's comment regarding Tuhon's safety."

"When I first met them they were two strangers afraid to trust their training and each other" said Tuhon.

"Guilty as charged" confirmed Callen. "Sam was an ex-SEAL used to working with a partner and a larger team but I preferred to work alone as you well know" said Callen. Gibbs tilted his head to one side in his characteristic way and grunted an acknowledgement of the fact which caused Callen to smirk. "Tuhon used to call Sam the Tyrant with a Trident and I was the Tribe of One" said Callen smiling at the memory and knowing that he still had the lone wolf tendencies.

"But they had evolved significantly by the time I saw them the second time" said Tuhon. "My regard for Callen as a warrior and a friend will always outweigh my personal safety" stated Tuhon. Hetty beamed with pride and pleasure, Gibbs tilted his head to one side and nodded in acknowledgement to the older man's statement whilst Callen continued to look uncomfortable. "Now please tell me what has been happening since I last saw you all" asked Tuhon.


	34. Chapter 34

A/N: Sorry for the long delay in updating this story, and my others. No excuse but real life has got a bit busy recently. Hey ho! Thanks to all who are still reading this story and supporting my writing endeavours. You mean a lot to me so thank you. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please read and review as I love to read your comments.

Chapter 34

Tuhon could sense that Callen was getting tired. "I should go and let you rest."

"Don't go on my account" said Callen, genuinely surprised at Tuhon's suggestion. Callen paused before speaking again. "Look, it's been so long since we've seen you, why don't you stay for dinner?"

Tuhon looked uncertainly back at the house where Hetty had gone minutes before. "I don't want to impose" Tuhon said with an air of uncertainty.

"C'mon man, you won't be imposing" said Callen with a chuckle. "Hetty loves to cook and I know she'd want you to stay."

"If it's alright with Henrietta then I'd love to stay, thank you" answered Tuhon, smiling at Callen.

"Good" said Callen. "I'll go and tell her" and he excused himself and headed back to the house to find Hetty.

"Is anything wrong?" she asked as she came out of the kitchen to see Callen hurrying towards her.

"No everything's good" replied Callen. "I've invited Tuhon to stay for dinner. I hope that's okay?"

"Of course it is, my dear. This is your home too so you can invite whomever you like, but I was actually going to suggest it myself" answered Hetty smiling. When Callen did not immediately leave but lingered with a familiar expression on his face, she looked at him suspiciously. "What else do you have in mind?"

"I thought it might be nice for Sam, Kensi and Deeks to come over too. Sam hasn't seen Tuhon since that case in Mexico and although Deeks met him, Kensi was in Afghanistan" said Callen. He gave her his warmest smile and said "You don't mind do you? I'll help with the meal if you'd like."

Hetty reached out and took his hands in hers. "It's an excellent idea" she agreed. "But I won't need any assistance from you my dear. Go ring the others and make the arrangements. Shall we say 7.30 pm?"

Callen nodded and hugged her. "Thanks" he said as he released her. "Do you need them to bring anything?"

"Thank you but no. I've got everything I need" said Hetty and she smiled warmly at his retreating back as he disappeared into her office, leaving her to go back to the kitchen to prepare the meal.

"Hetty, what's up? Is Callen alright?" asked Sam, concerned when he saw Hetty's name on the caller ID.

"Sam, it's me. I'm using Hetty's home phone. I'm good. I'm just ringing to see if you can come over for dinner tonight?" replied Callen.

"Don't do that to me G! I thought something was wrong" said Sam, relieved that all was okay with his partner and friend. "Sure. What time?" he asked.

"Around 7.30 pm" announced Callen.

"What's the occasion?" asked Sam, pleased to be asked but curious as to why as it had not been too long since he and his family had been there for a meal.

"You'll see when you get here" replied Callen cryptically.

"Okay, if you're not gonna share, I'll see you later" said Sam as he disconnected.

Callen then called Kensi, knowing Deeks would be with her. "Hey Kens" said Callen by way of a greeting when she picked up. "Are you and Deeks free for dinner tonight at Hetty's? Say 7.30 pm?"

"Don't think we've anything planned but Deeks is out with Monty so I can't check with him" replied Kensi. "I'll call if there's a problem, otherwise we'll see you then. Do you want us to bring anything?"

"No thanks, Hetty's got it covered. I'll see you both later I hope" said Callen before he disconnected.

As he went back out to join the others he met Abby coming down the stairs. "Hey you had a good time today?" he asked. Abby hugged him and told him that she had. Taking her by the hand he led her outside. "I've got someone I'd like you to meet" he said as they walked towards the group sitting by the pool. On seeing Callen and Abby approaching, Tuhon got to his feet. "Abby, this is Tuhon, a good friend of mine and Hetty. Tuhon, this is Abby. She works with Gibbs and is the best forensic scientist ever." Tuhon took her hand and kissed it causing her to blush and giggle.

"Pleased to meet you" said Abby. "Any friend of Callen's is a friend of mine."

"Likewise" answered Tuhon.

Abby was given a brief rundown as to how they knew each other before the conversation turned to more mundane subjects such as what she and Gibbs had been doing on their visit as well as what had been happening since Tuhon had last worked with Callen and Sam. Callen excused himself from the conversation and went indoors. As Tuhon suspected, he was tired and decided to take a nap before dinner. Callen went to the kitchen to let Hetty know and she promised to wake in good time if he did not wake up on his own accord.

By the time Sam arrived at 7.30 pm, Callen was back down with Tuhon and the others, feeling refreshed from his nap and shower. Sam made his way out to the garden where Tuhon, Callen and Abby were talking, Gibbs having gone inside to help Hetty with the final preparations for the meal. Sam greeted Tuhon warmly and shot his partner a look as to why he had not told him that their friend was visiting. Callen just smirked causing Sam to roll his eyes. Kensi and Deeks arrived shortly afterwards and after being greeted by Hetty, went outside to join the others by the pool as the evening was still warm. Deeks and Tuhon greeted each other warmly as Callen and Sam watched.

"You still looking after that knife?" asked Tuhon as he remembered an incident with Deeks following the Mexico mission.

"Naw" grinned Deeks remembering the interaction as well. "I returned it back to its rightful owner when she came home" indicating Kensi, who looked at Deeks quizzically.

"Is this Donald Blye's little girl?" asked Tuhon incredulously turning to face Kensi. When Deeks nodded, he continued as he took her hand in greeting "She's certainly grown a lot since I last saw her."

"You knew my father?" asked Kensi excitedly.

"Yes, he was a good friend of mine. I was extremely sad to hear of his death" said Tuhon. "Long ago I made a knife for him and I saw it recently in this man's hands. He told me he was looking after it for someone" explained Tuhon.

"Yeah I gave it to him when I was out of the country. The knife was one of the few things I had of my dad and I wanted Deeks to have it to remind him of me and to help keep him safe" said Kensi.

"As if I need help or would ever forget you, Fern!" muttered Deeks and Kensi playfully punched him on the arm, causing him to yelp.

Kensi and Tuhon continued to speak about his friendship with her father and she listened intently as she had not remembered him at all. The others enjoyed the stories too and Callen was pleased that he had thought to invite her to meet Tuhon.

Deeks silently thanked Callen too as he knew she had gone off the rails when her father had died when she was a teenager and it had been a driving ambition to avenge his death which she had done a few years earlier. The investigation she had undertaken had almost cost Kensi her career but she also had come close to being killed herself. Her father's murderer had recently killed, one by one, the remaining members of his black ops team, framing Kensi for their murders. When confronted with him, Kensi and he had fought but her sense of justice and what was right had ultimately outweighed her need for revenge, and she lowered her gun refusing to kill him, knowing he would finally go to prison for his actions. However when he pulled a gun to shoot her, Granger was on hand to kill him, reinforcing her father figure relationship with the Assistant Director.

Gibbs walked into the garden and announced that dinner was ready. The group made their way into the dining room where Hetty had placed plates with meat loaf as well as piping hot bowls of vegetables on the table. As they made their way to the table and picked where they would sit Hetty said "Sit down everybody, Tuck in before it gets cold." There was wine, beer and water on the table and everyone made their choice.

The meal was interspersed with conversation and when the main course was over Callen helped Hetty take the empty plates and dishes out to the kitchen. Out of sight of the others, he turned to Hetty and hugged her and in a quiet voice said "Thank you Hetty for doing this. You've excelled yourself again."

Whilst still in his embrace, she replied "It was my pleasure. I'm always pleased to have friends here and it warms my heart to see you happy. It's also good to see Tuhon again."

Releasing Hetty but holding her at arms' length, Callen said "I'm glad he came and I was able to thank him personally for his gift but is it safe for him? I don't want to be responsible for anything happening to him."

"Tuhon knows what he's doing and he's taken every precaution" said Hetty. "Don't worry about him and he would not want you to feel responsible. Now do you think anyone will have room for apple pie and custard?"

Callen chuckled. "I'm sure they'll find space for your apple pie. I know I will." Hetty laughed as she knew apple pie was his particular favourite.

Callen took a pile of bowls and a jug of custard out to the dining room and placed the bowls at the head of the table where Hetty had been seated and the jug in the middle of the table where everyone could reach it. Hetty followed him in carrying a large apple pie and a pie slice. She placed it down and looked at the beaming faces of her guests. "I hope you've all got room for apple pie" she said as she proceeded to cut open the pie and placed slices into the bowls, allowing Callen to pass them down the table. Dessert was eaten in silence except for murmurs of "This is so good" and "Excellent pie Hetty."

When they had finished and the dishes cleared away, the group moved to the lounge where whiskeys, coffee and tea were served and the conversation continued. Late in the evening Abby was the first to excuse herself and retire to her room, saying goodbye to Tuhon and her NCIS colleagues before hugging Callen, Gibbs and Hetty in turn. Kensi and Deeks were the next to leave followed shortly by Sam. Tuhon remained a while longer before he too announced he had to leave.

"Gibbs, I'm glad I got to meet you" he said. "Callen has spoken a great deal about you. I'm pleased that someone other than Sam has his back."

"Yeah" said Gibbs. "The feeling's mutual. Take care of yourself" and Tuhon nodded.

Tuhon turned next to Callen and shook his hand before pulling him into a warm embrace. When he released him, Tuhon said "I'm pleased you've recovered. I'll try and get to see you again but look after yourself."

"I will. It was good to see you again Tuhon" said Callen feeling a little emotional but covering it well. "Be safe."

Tuhon turned and walked with Hetty to the front door. They hugged and when he released her, he held both her hands and smiled at her warmly. "Henrietta, thank you for a wonderful evening" he said. "I was pleased to see Callen looking so well after all he's been through." Hetty nodded. "It was good to see Sam and Deeks again and finally see Donald's little girl all grown up. He would be so proud of her." Hetty smiled and nodded. "And Gibbs…" Tuhon paused and gave a little chuckle. "He's good for Callen and I can see there's respect and affection there."

"Yes" agreed Hetty. "He's a good friend, maybe a big brother, or even a father figure, to Mr Callen. I'm grateful for all he's doing to help him." She smiled wistfully before continuing "Tuhon thank you so much for coming to see him. It means such a lot to him."

"And what about you?" asked Tuhon.

"It goes without saying that I'm appreciative of your concern for my boy but I'm always pleased to see you as well" she said smiling up at her friend. Tuhon bent down and gave Hetty a tender kiss on the lips.

"It's a pleasure to see you Henrietta. I'll keep in touch and try and come again" he said.

"Please be careful. I know there are still people out to get you and I would hate for anything to happen to you" she said.

"I'm always careful so you don't need to worry about me" said Tuhon as he turned to leave.

"Oh but I do" said Hetty under her breath as she watched her friend disappear into the night. No longer able to see him in the shadows Hetty sighed and went back in doors closing and locking the door behind her.

Hetty went back into the lounge where Callen and Gibbs were chatting. Gibbs was holding an object in his hands and she saw it was the maniwat and realised Callen had gone and got to show it to his friend. Hetty smiled softly remembering the moment Tuhon gave Callen the blade and how it appeared to have been instrumental into bringing him out of the coma although the main turning point had been Sam's daughter.

Callen and Gibbs looked up as Hetty approached them and Callen said "Did he get away unseen?"

"Yes" replied Hetty. "I see you've got the maniwat."

"I promised Gibbs I'd show it to him and I thought it was an ideal time whilst we waited for you" said Callen.

"It's a magnificent blade" said Gibbs clearly impressed with its craftsmanship and its functionality.

"Indeed" agreed Hetty. "As Tuhon said only those deemed worthy are given such a gift" she added smiling at Callen, who was a little abashed by the statement for he never thought himself worthy, although he would always treasure and respect the gift. "Gentlemen, it's late and I for one am a little tired. I think we should all retire to our rooms."

The two men agreed and they got up from their chairs. Gibbs said as he hugged each one in turn. "G'night Callen, Hetty. Thanks for a wonderful evening."

"Night, Gibbs" said Callen.

"Goodnight Jethro" replied Hetty as she watched him leave the room and go to his room.

Callen was still holding the maniwat and looking at it. "I hope he'll be okay. I'd do anything for him."

"He's survived this long virtually unscathed and I've no doubt Tuhon will be fine" said Hetty.

"I hope you're right" muttered Callen. He looked down at his diminutive boss, mentor and mother figure and smiled. "Thanks for this evening, Hetty. I know I kinda sprung it on you but as always you excelled yourself."

Hetty beamed back at Callen and slipped her arm through his. You're most welcome my dear. I think you've had enough excitement for one day. You're looking a bit tired. You should go to bed" she said.

"I must admit, even with that nap, I am tired" he agreed.

Callen bent and kissed Hetty lightly on the cheek. She beamed and patted his arm and, still arm in arm, they walked slowly from the lounge and up the stairs to their respective rooms. Callen placed the maniwat back in its box in his bedside cabinet drawer and laid on his bed. He stared at the ceiling reflecting on the day's events and was soon sound asleep. Before finally getting into bed, Hetty decided to check on Callen. She peaked into his room and saw that he had fallen asleep fully clothed. Shaking her head slightly she smiled to herself as she crept into his room and pulled the comforter up over him. "Sweet dreams my son" she whispered before returning to her own room.


End file.
